The Agenda
by kbeto
Summary: Harry and his friends are humans with enhanced abilities, kept secret from the world, living their everyday lives. What happens when they learn the truth about themselves and their destiny? Life as they know is about to be rewritten. Totally AU. Contains Pudd and maybe some Flones.
1. Prelude of Despair

_Disclaimer: Everything here comes from a pretty wild imagination. Any coincidences here or in any part of the galaxy, must've been my evil twin's job! This is a dream I had but I thought it would be cool to throw the McGuys in. I don't own McFly or Just My Luck, and I certainly never will._

_Note: I know Harry's name is not Harold, but I like how it sounds. Haha! This story may be a little disconnected (even more 'cause it started as an one shot), but I tried not to change many things. And a dream doesn't always make sense, right? Not that any of mine **ever** do. *shrugs*.  
_

_The Agenda_

"Oh, shit! It's coming!" That's all I can say, while desperately running from that _thing, still _wondering how I could get myself in this huge mess.

"_Wouldn't it be nice if there were other places to go, Harry?"_ He could have kept his mouth shut. He's decidedly too smart for his own good. Not only his, but mine as well.

My name's Harry. I'm part of a government secret plan to enhance people's capabilities and try to make the world a better place. Our condition is only known to a few within the high-ranked people in the agency. My life alongside my flatmate, —or, should I say, _cell mate_— Dougie, used to be pacific until the day we started wondering if there was more to life than what we've been taught.

Even though he's shorter than me, he's the eldest of our group and the brightest mind around. There's no system he can't hack, language he can't speak, or reading that's too complicated for him. I'm rubbish at this kind of stuff. My skills are no better than those of an average human, when it comes to this subject. But Dougie always tried to cheer me up, saying I'm the fastest and most skilful person he knows, and I should be proud of that. He even told me that he would like to have such abilities and be "_damn fit",_ too. And just like that, we've become friends; I would coach him and try to sharpen his reflexes, and he would do the same, and help me improve my logical thinking. Not a bad trade, if you ask me.

_"_Come 'on! Give me a break, last Christmas' jam! Can't you find anyone more interesting to chase down?_"_

A projectile-shaped chunk of slime soars through the air, right above my head.

"You love me, don't ya?" I say with a smirk on my face and the creature lets out a high-pitched growl, apparently filled with anger.

I've been chased down by a big orange blob incapable of phrasing a proper sentence, has only one eye at the top of its... err... head, is on a par with me in terms of speed —_How something so huge and with no feet can be so fast—_ and answers all my questions with shots. _Something tells me I should have stayed in bed today._

Still being chased, I see myself fronting a bifurcation on my way. To my right, a ramp. To my left a stairway.

_"_Fuck! Decisions are not my strong point! Where's Dougie when I need him? When I put my hands on that shrimp..." I say to myself, trying to make a mental note and remember to _skin_ Dougie later.

Finally, I decide on going by the staircase, as it seems to impose more of a challenge to my amorphous fan, than the ramp would. She could just roll down the slope like... like... a big weird slime she is. Actually, now I ask myself, why do I think it's a "she"? I never saw that kind of creature before, not even at Tom's place. And I tell you, the boy _really_ likes _weird_ pets. Speaking of him, I think he would be interested in my girl friend, boy friend, or whatever the fuck is that.

_"_Hey!" I shout over my shoulder, "Have you ever thought about going to a place where you would have a bed, food, and..." I pause for an instant nibbling on my lower lip before resuming my speak "I'm sorry, but I fear the 'clothes' part doesn't apply to you..._" _that almost turned out to be the last thing I would have said in my life, as my favourite mate for the past 2 hours squirted something barf-like, barely giving me the time to dodge. Whatever had that been, it opened a _big_ hole on the ground.

"Have you ever thought of anger management? All this stress will give you wrinkles, you know," I say with a frown and stare at "her" for a moment, "Or _would_ give you wrinkles, if only you had a face! Bye!" And soon I'm intent on resuming my running. Making it quickly to half of the stairs, I look behind me and realize the thing has slowed down, and I have now the upper hand.

"What? Don't you like steps? It's good for your health!" I grin in the most cheeky way I can muster, "Every little helps, right?"

It is then when I see a creature similar to the previous one, but smaller, waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. The little monster doesn't waste any time, as it starts to shoot in my general direction. How come some artists complain about the paparazzi? I would like to see them handle _this_! That's what I _really_ call wanting a _piece_ of me.

Leaping over the mini-thingy from the freak shop, I find myself landing on a big skip, grabbing an old broom as a makeshift sword.

"Trash? Oi! You gonna pay for the laundry, you ugly thing!" my tone raising a little, "That was my best uniform!"

Still cursing under my breath, I notice the bigger blob have just fused with the little one. Much for my dismay, I realize it is the same creature that split in two to block my path.

"Cheater! I was going take you out for a dinner, get to know each better, but now? Forget about it! I can't be in a relationship with a two-faced... two-bodied... you get it!"

I start attacking, but doesn't seem very effective to use _kendou_ against something capable of self-reconstruction.

"I would give _anything_ for one of Dougie's ideas, right now." I sigh in frustration, after a few minutes of fight."

"_Really_? I _sure _will remember that," I hear a male voice speak, and I could _hear_ a hint of a smile on it. That's when a familiar small frame appears, hitting something on my chaser's head, making a jelly like orb fly a great distance, and then the creature begins to roar as if in real pain.

"Where have you been all this time, Thumbelina?" I ask.

"Thumbelina is your honourable nan," he throws the object he have used as weapon, in my direction, and gives me a mock smile.

That's Dougie. He finally returned from wherever the hell he said he had to go, when he left early this morning.

"What are you waiting for? Go get that orb back!"

"Eh? Are you _sure_ about this?" concern dripping from my voice, "Don't look very clever to pick up the _eye-slash-brain-slash-heart_, from an enemy you've just defeated."

"Defeated?" Dougie seems a little angry at my choice of words, "Are you _on drugs_, or what?... Look behind you! Look out!" Pretty close call, but I avoid being slammed by the enormous slime. I just hope my luck doesn't change. At least not until we get out of this situation.

"Why do you need that thing?" I question him.

"Hurry up an get it back! I'll explain later! Quickly!" His voice clearly agitated.

"Wowowowowow. Wait right there. Where's the 'please'?"

"What? Are you crazy? We're about to be _eaten_, _disintegrated_, and you're thinking about good manners?" I must admit he looks so cute when he's mad.

"You've always complained about my manners, remember?"

"Yeah, but..." we are interrupted once more, to dodge the creature's attacks. "...now isn't the best moment for this!"

"Please?" I try again, this time using the puppy eyes strategy. I know he can't resist it.

"Bloody hell! Okay, could you _please_ get that orb back before we are _exterminated_ by the strange..."

"And amorphous!"

"Ok! _**and**_ amorphous creature, _please_?"

"Ahh. Now that's so much better!" I flash him my widest smile and turn myself to face the monster.

"Sorry, babe. Our date ends right here. It's not that I don't like when they make the first move... There's nothing wrong with you... The problem is me, and..."

"Hurry up!" I feel something hit my head.

"O-kay! Such a hurry! People can't even properly dismiss a date any more. After all, it's not everyday you get a chance to snob some expired jam, for it not being your type."

Spinning the broom as fast as I can, I open my way through a barrage of shots, slicing the creature in two, and getting the oh-so-wanted orb.

"What about now?" I ask.

"What about now?" he mimics me, as he hadn't understand my question.

"Yeah. **Now!**"

"Now you run for it, because those things won't rest until the person with their brain is dead."

"Wait, this is a brain?" I inspect the object closely, "Nasty! And it's so small!"

"Look who's talking," he says, giggling.

"Oi! Not afraid of having our ass kicked, are we?" I threaten him.

"Not at all but... If I were you, I'd run."

"Shit!"

I throw the brain to Dougie. Now it's almost like we're playing with the creature. I'm almost hit, and the pass go wrong, making the object roll away from us three, finally stopping at a very familiar person's feet: Tom.

"What's that?" he says picking up the object from the ground. "Oh, oi, Harry! Dougie! How you're doing?" he smiles and waves from the distance, his dimple ever poking.

"Tom, mate, just throw it away!" I try to urge him to let go of the orb.

"What? This? But I find it quite interesting!"

"This definitely is _not_ time for nerdy curiosity, Tom! Throw it to me!"

After giving it some thought, he obliges, just when the creature is three feet near him, making him fall on his own arse, visibly scared. Then I hear Dougie yell something.

"Destroy the orb!"

"But you said you needed it," I cock an eyebrow.

"It doesn't matter now! The situation is out of control. Destroy it! Hurry up!"

"Please?"

"HAROLD MARK CHRISTOPHER JUDD, IF YOU DON'T DO IT RIGHT NOW, I WILL SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE HAUNTING YOU WITH THE WORST AND MOST REALISTIC NIGHTMARES KNOWN BY HUMAN RACE," he finally snaps, daggers darting at me from his beautiful blue eyes.

"Ok... I'll do it. But it's not because of your threat! Little bugger."

_Bloody psychic powers_, I think to myself. _"I heard that!"_ says a little voice inside my head. _Could you get out of __**my**_ _mind, please? Thank you, and do __**not**_ _come back._

Without giving it much thought, I throw the orb upwards, lower my head a little before taking a deep breath, and focus on finishing it in one blow. When I finally do it, the creature is about get me body slammed against the wall, and it blows up in a sticky fluid, leaving me one huge deplorable mess. Giggling like he has just escaped a mental institution, Dougie steps close.

"I forgot to warn you about that; they can move around without a brain, but once the brain cease to exist, the same happens to creature," he adds in a nonchalantly way that makes me a little pissed.

"Couldn't you have told me that _before_? While you were _wandering_ inside my mind, by instance?"

"Forget about it," he says with a grin, "All you need is a good bath. I'll even scrub your back when we get home," he says the last part with a wink.

As the situation calms down, Tom comes running to us. Dougie, catching one half of the sphere I just cut, pulls something that resembles a worm out of it. And with that the semi sphere on his hand rapidly wither, and turns to dust.

"Reach out your arm," he demands.

"What?" I inquire thinking I didn't get him right.

"Reach. Out. Your. Arm." he repeats over emphasizing each word, like I'm mentally challenged.

"No way! Are you crazy?" I say, prying my arm away from him. "You want to put _that_ in my arm? What have you been smoking? Catnip?" I blurt with wide eyes .

"Hurry! If not, its knowledge will disappear, too," but this time his tone is softer, and his eyes are almost _pleading_.

"Knowledge? Now you tell me, that thing from before, had _any_ knowledge?"

"Even more than _you_ do, airhead."

"If it's _so_ important, why don't you implant it in _yourself_?"

"First, I already have much stuff in my mind. Second, _unfortunately_ I don't have the skills needed to keep it safe, if I'm ever caught. So, for not having a better option, I guess you will do," he gives me a small sly smile.

"Shut it, Poynter! Do you want me to help, or not?" I glare at him for a moment "Ok, but do it quickly."

I turn my face away from such a gross scene. The _thing_'s thing, instantly penetrates my skin, and my head starts to pound loudly.

"Somebody... stop the pain!" I fall to the ground, in a foetal position, getting a tight grip on my head.

"What's wrong with him? Is he ok?" Tom asks, scared of my reaction and nearly panicking, like he always do.

"Calm down, it's an expected reaction. He'll be fine soon."

After some time in darkness —and I don't know for how long— I wake up, and get to face Dougie and Tom knelt beside me.

"What happened?" are the first words I find coming out of my mouth, still feeling dizzy and wincing a little.

"You tell me. As you now should have at least half my knowledge... or even more!" answers Dougie, with a smirk on his face. I hate when he does these little mind games. Especially when mine is not in its better days. And then, everything come to me like a huge flow of data, or a big epiphany. I leap on my feet, before finally speaking to them.

"We need to get out of here."

"What?" Dougie asks, eyeing me a bit suspicious, with a raised eyebrow.

"What does that mean?" Tom finally speaks, curiosity coating every word.

"The Agenda, they are after us! That thing from before was just a bot, and its mission was only to do _reconnaissance_. This city and everything on it will be a gone within two days."

Shit. I _really_ should have stayed in bed today...


	2. Together We Stand

_Disclaimer: Everything said before is still true. Such a shame, I know._

_A/N: I'd like to dedicate this chapter to the wonderful_ **PerfectDreamWithHim** _for all the support and encouragement. If one day I start writing great things, you'll know who's to blame. Haha!_

_It's all Harry's POV except for the end (a little bit weird. lol). Also, I had almost no 'plot straight from a dream' this time, so I apologize if things feel a little too loose. *whacks self in the head*_

Chapter II

For the first time, after all that happened, Tom finally calmed down enough and started shooting thousand questions at me and Dougie.

"Do you guys care to tell me what the hell was all that?" He says gesturing in the direction of what had been a battlefield just a few moments ago. Not that I'm entirely sure, since I blacked out at some point.

Tom isn't aware of anything that's been going on around us, and I wonder if it would be prudent to tell him anything (besides what I just blurted out after regaining conscience). I look at Dougie in hopes he can help me out of this, but before he can do or say anything, Tom grabs both my hands and bring them in front of our faces, his eyes full of worry.

"Is it something you guys can't tell me? Is there anything I can do to help?" An I knew there was no easy way out, 'cause once his motherly instinct kicks in, nothing can really stop him. Dougie even likes to call him "Tummy" because _"he's such a mother hen and since he used to be chubby, it's rather appropriate"_.

"Tom, mate, listen. We can't—" and it's Dougie's turn to interfere before I can make things even worse.

"Tummy boy! Care to come with me for a sec?" And before me and Tom know it, Dougie snatches his hands away from mine, slings an arm around Tom's neck, and leads him to a far corner, shooting me a you-stay-right-there look. They stay talking for about a good five minutes, but I can't really understand what it is 'cause they're out of earshot. Although it's not hard to imagine the subject of their conversation as Tom's regularly eyeing me like a mother that has been told her child is in their _deathbed_.

After ten minutes or so, they come closer to me. Dougie's still wearing that smile he that says 'we're all screwed' when he does something wrong. My first reaction is to break the silence, but Tom beats me to it and I do nothing except to listen to what he has to say.

"Harry, Dougie told me everything." I can instantly feel my breath hitch for a moment, but I let him finish, nonetheless. "Ok, maybe not _everything, _but enough for me to make my own decision. And that's to be with you both, my best mates, no matter what."

"You know you can end up dead, you twat?" I try to sound convincing, but his previous words kind of shaken me up a bit. I know Dougs feels the same; he's been looking at his shoes like they're the most interesting book he ever seen, in a desperate attempt to hold back some threatening tears.

"I know that, you insufferable prick—" he retorts in a somber tone "—but the three of us are meant to be an unit, right?" and when he speaks the last part, his usual smile is back full on, his dimple ever poking. That's the when I just pull him into a hug, just to feel Dougie hug us both right after, and we stay like that for who knows how much time.

"Guys? I don't wanna spoil the moment but... you're stinking, Harry," Tom says, giving us both a light shove. "And now my uniform is dirty as well. Err... Is it too late to regret my decision and leave you two behind?"

Before I can say something, Dougie's chasing Tom around, both screaming, and I can hear an _"I'm gonna feed you to your weird pets, you git"_ among laughter and many _"help me"_. I guess it's pretty safe to say everything is back to the normal. For now, at least.

~#~

Since Dougie has given up on killing Tom, we all agree the first thing we should do is take a bath — I really need one tight now — and then think carefully about what should be our next step.

"Let's go to our place," Dougie says looking at me with a mischievous grin on his face, wriggling his eyebrows once. I swear, sometimes I _really _worry about sleeping in the same room as him.

"Only if you two let me shower first. I don't want to use bathroom after you two doing God-knows-what to each other..." And before either of us has a chance to say something, Tom's already walking a few steps ahead of us.

I feel gobsmacked by his statement and can't really hide the shocked look in my face, looking at him incredulously. Ok, maybe I _should_ have let Dougie kill him earlier. I turn to my blond flatmate, but he doesn't seem to be the _least_ fazed. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and promptly follows our mate, the grin never leaving his face. _Why can't I have normal friends?_

"Tom, wait! That's not what you're thinking!" I yell, starting to follow those two blond heads.

"Oh, yeah? Have you forgotten what is my ability?" He's now facing me and Dougs, walking backwards as he speaks, a smile never leaving his face.

"Vast knowledge of fauna and flora?" I risk.

"Bzzzz! Wrong!"

Great. Now I feel like in one of those quiz shows he likes so much. I'm really thinking of resuming Dougie's earlier plans. _Don't push it, Fletcher._

"Getting angry, are we?"

That's when I finally remember it. Tom's abilities are not knowing _everything_ about plants and animals. It's just a 'bonus', as one may put it. Instead, he seems to be capable of perceiving the emotions around him, what let's him communicate with almost every living being on earth. But it doesn't work so well with humans, as they tend to hide or not acknowledge their own emotions. For this reason, he needs to get to know said people before he can have a proper reading of their feelings.

"You're just jealous, 'cause you're waiting for love to show up at you door," Dougie decides to break with his apparent vow of silence. Not exactly what I wanted him to say, but at least he said something.

Tom do nothing but to let out a hearty laugh. "What are you saying, Poynter? True love happens when you least expec—" and before he can finish it, we hear a loud 'thud' and see him on the ground, over a figure of someone we don't know, both still recovering from their fall.

"Sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going. I know I can be a little clumsy sometimes. I apologize for that."

Without warning, the stranger lets out a loud laugh, startling the three of us. He then props himself into a kneeling position, dusting himself off, and finally speaking "S'okay. It's my fault for being a twat and losing my mp3 player in the first place."

I reckon he's not from around here because we never seen him before, and he has this thick accent. Maybe he's from the East Zone? All I know is that he seems not to mind the fact Tom practically _ran him over_. Maybe he's just a crazy fella.

"Uh... since we're both already on the ground, do you want any help?"

"Tha' would be nice!" and this time the stranger is beaming like a little kid who just made a new friend. Boy, what a strange bloke! Please remember this is coming from someone who lives with Dougie, so it's _really_ alarming.

Tom and his new friend spend a good fifteen minutes trying to locate the man's device. I would have helped them, if wasn't for Dougie being opposed to the idea, telling me in my mind _"Believe me, they don't __**want**__ any help from us"._

"Blimey, mate! You found it!" I hear from the distance, and we both decide to approach Tom and his newly met mate. He seems a little _too_ flustered by all the thank you's from the other boy and I'm sure he's going to scratch his scalp away any minute. Suddenly, Dougie's clears his throat, and like noticing us for the first time, Tom introduce us to the happiest person we ever met.

"Oh, these two here are my friends. The brunet covered in goo is Harry, and the short stuff goes by Dougie. Boys, this is —" and suddenly his smile falters. I take he doesn't even know the boy's name? _Way to go, Tommy._

"I'm DJ. Nice to meet ya, Dougie and Harry," and he's profusely shaking our hands. Seeing him properly for the first time, his eyes are blue similar to Dougie's, but his skin is lightly covered in freckles, and his smile even beats Tom's. It's like my two friends had a baby together and he's in front of us now, all grown-up. He's a pretty buff one, so I guess he could be my child, too. What a _disturbing_ thought.

"Well, DJ, the helpful bloke here is Tom. He likes plants, pets, he cooks, and he's _single_, too!"

The DJ guy just chuckles while Tom apologizes for what Dougie just said, and I try to make things lighter saying we're going ahead since I really need help with my bath, dragging my big mouthed friend with me.

"I guess I should just go with them," is all Tom can say before he dies of embarrassment (or faints, since all his blood seems to have gone to his face, leaving the rest of his body unattended).

"Maybe... we could hang out, sometime?"

"Sure!" and the smile is evident in his voice. Tom may be good at perceiving feelings, but he himself is awful at hiding them.

We then bid DJ farewell and finally go home. I never felt so happy about taking a shower in my entire existence.

~#~

"_Daniel... Daniel, you're there?" _ A metallic-sounding voice speaks through the device Tom found minutes earlier.

"Yeah, Danny speaking."

"_How's everything going?"_

"Target already confirmed. Seems like there's _three_ of them. Proceeding with the elimination."

"_Good. We're counting on you. You're the best suited for this job."_

A loud _click_ announces the communication has been closed, then a familiar curly-haired boy heads in the same direction the trio of friends have made earlier.


	3. Friends Got Your Back

_Disclaimer: Guess what? Still pretty much the same._

_A/N: This one may feel like somewhat of a filler, but I really had fun writing it and got carried away. Maybe 'cause my sense of humor is kinda wrong, much like Dougie's. *evil laugh*_

Chapter III

After a long walk, we're finally home. Tom decides he wants some tea and proceeds to the kitchen. Dougie isn't that interested and plop himself down on the sofa with a book in hands. As for me, I practically fly upstairs, straight to the bathroom, to take a so deserved shower.

I don't give much thought to the fact I'll have to clean this mess later; right now, all I need is to feel water cascading down my face, and cleanse my body from this stickiness. As fast as I can, I drop all my uniform in a pool by my feet and head to the shower. _Guess I won't be leaving anytime soon..._

~#~

"I hope Harry won't take long in the shower. Or else, the tea gonna get cold," Tom says, more to himself than actually speaking to a Dougie completely lost in his reading.

"I said, the. Tea. Gonna. Get. Cold." he tries again, but this time eyes boring into Dougie's face, through the hard cover of his book.

"I don't suppose now is my cue to say 'Don't worry, Tommy. I'll get him for ya', is it?" the smaller blond asks, resting the book on his stomach.

"Thanks, Dougs! You're very helpful, mate!" Tom replies almost beaming in response.

"Prick," is all Dougie says before dangling his legs over the sofa and going upstairs to get Harry. Not that he really minds, but sometimes he feels like Tom is always using that smile of his to get his ways. But on a second thought, he probably would do the same.

"DOUGIE!" Tom yells from downstairs just when the boy is about to reach the bathroom door.

"WHAT NOW, MATE?" Dougie shouts back, slightly leaning over the banisher.

"All you have to do is tell Harry to hurry up. But you can use force if he needs some convincing. Not that I believe you can win against him unless we're talking about chess, but..."

"You're so _dead_ when I'm back, Fletcher," and with this last warning, he heads back to the bathroom.

"Harry. Harry, can your hear me? Tom want us downstairs," he says loudly, after rapidly knocking four times. The sound of running water can be heard outside and no answer comes from the other side of the door. Doubting Harry would hear him before Tom gets all pouty over 'not appreciating his work', Dougie grabs the door handle and enters the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

~#~

I swear I could hear somebody calling my name, but it may be the stress from the day catching up to me. Closing my eyes I give in to the feeling of water running over my tensed up shoulders.

I really need to ask Dougie or Tom how to get rid of this stuff from my hair. I already tried to find some solution from the information I got earlier from the monster, but I can't recall a thing.

"Such a eventful day. I wonder how can we make trough the next two," I talk to myself, in a futile attempt to run my fingers in my hair, only to really find out it's kinda of glued due to the fluids of my former persecutor. "Now I _really_ could use one of Dougs' ideas"

"Aww, Haz! This is so cute. Can't really stop thinking about me, huh?"

I open my eyes almost jumping from my skin, when I hear a voice speaking from behind me.

"Dougie! What the hell are you doing here?" I turn to face him, as though I just saw a ghost.

"Whoa, mate. You really shouldn't go around flaunting your family jewels for anyone to see. People might get the wrong idea, you know?" he casually says, tilting his head as to point to my lower body.

"What are you—" I grab the nearest towel to cover myself, feeling my cheeks a little bit hot. "I'm taking a shower here, Dougie. Do you expect me to find me fully clothed or something? And why are you barging in like that, anyway?"

"Actually, Tom sent me here," is all he says, while inspecting his nails, wearing a devilish smile upon his lips. This is Tom's idea? _He's so dead meat. Wait for me, Tom._

"But you said you would give an _arm_ for one of my _brilliant_ ideas. What troubles you, my young lad?"

"I said what? I only said I could use one of your ideas. I don't remember saying anything about giving an ar—"

"Worry not, my dearest friend. Just tell old Poynter here what are your needs," his face now almost splitting in two from such a huge smile "as long as it's not something _too_ pervert."

Sometimes I really, really wonder how we can be friends. Sighing, I explain to him how I couldn't get rid of the sticky mess in my hair.

"So, you _do_ want my help to clean you hair?"

"If you can actually do something about it, yeah."

"Are you one hundred percent sure? You _trust_ me with your hair, and will do _anything_ I say?"

"Wait, now you're freaking me out. What _exactly_ needs to be done? Kill a puppy or something?"

"What? No! Dude, you really have issues! What if Tom hears you saying this stuff? It's so wrong..."

"Ok, Dougie," Sometimes I really wonder how can he be considered the brains around here. Seriously. "Can we start now, please?"

"Aww, how can I resist when you're all polite like that?" The smile of a proud parent placed upon his face.

"Would you stop '_aww-ing'_ at me?"

"Grab your uniform and get in the tub" his tone is now a serious one, almost demanding. Hard to believe it's the same Dougie that just _stalked_ me into the shower.

"Okay. What do I do next?" And as I turn my face to him, I see a stark naked Dougie in front of me.

"What the—" and before I can say anything else, he makes a shush noise, drapes a towel around his waist, and sits with me in the tub, my back turned to him.

"Dougie?"

"Yeah, Harry?"

"This is awkward."

"Don't worry, it'll be fun. Pass me your clothes."

Not in a mood to question anything anymore, and in fact enjoying the warmth from our proximity, I do as I'm told. He then starts scrubbing the filthy uniform all over my hair. _After all the effort I've made? I feel like screaming. _I try to catch his eyes from behind me without turning my head too much, and his look is one of pure concentration. So, whatever is it he's doing, I know he means well.

After five minutes or so of thoroughly scrubbing, all the goo started to solidify and it's like small beads are falling from my hair. The mess is gone from hair **and** my uniform, and the little beads now grouped together, giving form to an orange, shiny stone.

Looking myself in the mirror over the sink, I inspect to see if there's any portion left, grinning from ear to ear with the results. I quickly turn to face Dougie with arms folded over his chest in a 'Am I awesome or what?' kind of instance. It takes no more than 2 seconds for me to lung myself at him, tackling him to the floor in a bone crushing hug.

"Okay, Haz. I see you're pretty satisfied with my work and everything, but you can let go of me now. Just remember we're both wearing _nothing_ but towels."

I instantly lift my face from his chest, just in time to hear a loud 'click' and see a beet red Tom at the door frame.

~#~

"I thought I'd locked the door," is all Dougie can say to cut the silence heavy above us three.

"Uh, I thought you needed help since Doug was gone for so long, but I see you two are doing _perfectly_ well."

"Tom, you got the wrong idea!" I say hurriedly, trying to explain the situation so our friend won't misinterpret it "Dougie was just helping me get cleaned up—"

"Oh, God. Please, spare me the details! But I'm _totally_ fine with you two being together. I think it's really cute," he giggles like a school girl "Just make sure to keep your hands to your respective selves, and let me be the best man, ok?"

"Are you even listening to yourself talki—"

"Will do, mate. Now, if you don't mind, we have some unfinished business to take care of..." Dougie gestures between me and him, with one of his hands.

What is it that nobody seems to let me finish my own sentences? I think it's turning into some kind of habit.

"Oh! Yeah, right. I'll just... uh... make some more tea. Yeah! Definitely! More tea! Would be good if you two can come... Oh, God. That's not what I mean! What I'm trying to say is—"

And just like Tom slams the door shut, before running away, talking like a mad man.

"That went pretty well, if you ask me."

I immediately shoot Dougie a doubtful look in response to his remark.

"If you take in consideration that's Tom we're talking about, I mean," he adds.

Can't say I exactly disagree with him, 'cause Tom worries too much about everything. At least he's happy for us!

What am I saying? I'm getting as delusional as those two! I think I may be needing that tea. Badly.


	4. Severed Bonds

_Disclaimer: yadda yadda yadda nothing changed yadda yadda yadda don't sue me._

_A/N: Big thanks to all of you who are reading this! You guys are amazing! :D_

_**Neon Douche**, I cracked with your comment! Bwahaha! Thank you so much! Tom's my animal spirit and I like to see him as a mix of the two! hahaha!_

_Oh, this chapter has some minor(?) violence, but it's nothing that you wouldn't see in a regular Hollywood movie. I just wanted point it out in case there are people not comfortable with this. Enjoy and let me know what you think! :)  
_

Chapter IV

I have to admit the tea was indeed a good idea. Not that I will ever let Tom know that. No way in hell.

By now Dougie is changing in new clothes and Tom is taking a shower 'cause he doesn't like to _'feel dirty'_. After hearing my stomach pleading for some food, I go to the fridge get what I need to make a 'Hazburger' as Dougs would call it. Ok, I'm far from being the best chef around (that would be Tom), but at least we're not starving either.

Shuffling through all that I need to prepare myself a good meal, I get startled when I hear someone suddenly knocking on the door, hitting my head in the process. The last time someone knocked with so much vigour, it was one of the neighbours complaining about the music being too loud.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, mate! DJ."

I open the door still scratching the afflicted area of my head and wincing a little.

"Eh, bad timing?"

"Not really. I had my head inside the fridge when you knocked. Can't say I was expecting that," I say whilst he's laughing his lungs out, as though it's the funniest thing he heard in his entire life.

"But what brings you here? Is it Tom?"

He immediately lowers his gaze and starts scratching the back of his neck, nodding as he smiles sheepishly. Maybe Dougie's right for once? I got to tell him later.

"Come in, mate. Tom's taking a shower but he should be here soon."

"Thanks, Harry."

~#~

I don't know for how long we've been chatting, but the fella knows how to make one company. I guess he'll do old Tommy some good. He's too much of a introverted —not that I would prefer him to be like Dougie— and he could loose himself up a bit.

"It's nice to have someone who actually enjoys working out. I don't got too much luck with the other two."

"We could go jogging sometime. Maybe we could drag the other Tom and Dougie with us?"

"Mr. Poynter is _not_ the kind of dude you can drag around, you know?"

We both look to the source of the voice, to find Dougie with his hair dampen and a towel over his shoulders, clothed just in his uniform bottom.

"I can't believe it! It took you all this time and you're still _half_-dressed!"

"Actually, I'm _one-third_-dressed 'cause I'm going commando, you know?"

DJ is literally rolling on the sofa laughing, while I sigh at the remark of my witty mate.

"Dougs, can you tell Tom that DJ's here?" I ask in the most patient voice I can muster "and please, return fully clothed, ok?"

"I love it when you use that tone of voice. Rawr!"

I try to say something, but he's already skipping the steps on his way up.

"I'm sorry you got to hear all this."

"No worries. I like that crazy kid," our visitor says, after regaining control over his diaphragm.

"You can say that again," and we're both laughing this time. "Fancy a drink? Tom brewed some tea, but I reckon it might be cold by now," I say as get up and start walking to the kitchen.

"That would be wonderful, Judd."

I feel my whole body stiff instantaneously, and with back still turned to him, I walk to retrieve one of my _katanas_ pinned to a nearby wall and point it to DJ.

"Who are you?"

"Whoa! What do you mean?" he motions for me to put the sword away "It's me, DJ. What are you doing, mate?"

This time I attack him, but he dodges, getting away with just a diagonal cut on his shirt, from chest to stomach.

"I said, Who. Are. You?" I repeat myself, through gritted teeth. "You called me 'Judd', even though Tom introduced me just as 'Harry'."

~#~

His expression now is a dark one, and his laugh is totally different from all the other times. It's something... _cold_. What the hell is going on?

"I can't believe I let something like that slip. Maybe you're smarter than what people give you credit for?" He sniggers "and here I was thinking you're an ogre that resolves everything with your strength."

"I don't plan on missing the next blow. Who are you and what you want from us?"

"I see Douglas made a fine job, eh?" He shrugs "I guess I can let you on some things. It's not like you will have the chance to use this information, anyway."

The nerve! I really don't like the way this prick is talking to me. After he's done with it, I'm gonna wipe the floor with him.

"Let me introduce myself again. I'm Danny Jones, and I'm here to exterminate you and your friends," his smile now is something devilish, and I can sense he's really intent on killing. I don't know how I didn't notice it before, but right now, all I have to do is protect my friends.

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow that, _Jones_."

"Oh yeah? Bring it on, _Judd_."

When we're both about to start fighting, Dougie appears at the bottom of the stairs out of nowhere.

"Cool, huh? I still haven't got the hang of this but it's pretty—"

He looks at me and Danny as we both had grew an extra head.

"What are guys doing? Harry, what's this?" his voice clearly agitated.

"Dougie, stay away! He's dangero—"

My words are cut short when I see Danny by Dougie's side. _How can he move so fast?_

"And to think you're the smartest! What a joke!" He chuckles "I should use guns on you guys, 'cause it's not personal. But I never really tried a _katana_ before, so why let the opportunity go to waste?"

That's when I see the blade of my own sword tainted in crimson. He's using the other one from the wall. _When?_ A split second after, red is gushing from Doug's shoulders and he collapses on his knees, face meeting the floor.

"DOUGIE!" I scream, trying to get my new enemy away from my wounded friend with a swing of my blade.

"Dougie, speak to me!" I say already feeling my eyes stinging, and slapping him across the face. He's bleeding severely. "Come on, you idiot! You can't leave me!"

"Are you sure you have time to worry about him?"

That's when I turn to see the shining steel descending upon us, and dodging a little too late. It's not a deep wound, but considering now I have to fight and keep Doug safe at the time, I find myself in a bind.

"I guess you're wondering '_how can he be so fast'_ or _'how can he be so skilled if he never used a sword before', _right?" the murderous smile never leaving his face. "I got a secret of my own, too. I'm just like you guys."

"What do you mean?" I ask, noticing I'm breathing heavily.

"I guess you're back to your stupid self 'cause of the adrenaline? I mean I have a special ability, too."

"And that's why you want to kill us?"

"In all honesty, it's not that I _want_ to kill you. It's just I _have_ to. I wish we could have met under other circumstances. We could get along pretty well."

For a moment I see something genuine in his eyes, but before I can scrutinize any further, it's gone again, and he's back to the assassin in front of me.

"My ability is 'survival'. It's something all the living beings have inside them. You could call it 'instinct'."

"Still doesn't explain how you can surpass me in any way."

"But it _is_ the very explanation: my ability changes depending on who I'm fighting, giving me the means to win." I can see he's smiling throughout the sentence.

"So you're telling me no matter how strong is your opponent, you'll always have the upper hand?"

"See? You can think, if you try hard enough."

_Shit. This is bad. Even if he's speaking the truth, I could try to do something about it. But Dougs.. And I'm losing so much blood, too! Shit!_

"But enough with all the talking! Now it's time to put you two to rest."

"It won't be that easy," I say in defiance, still aware of my current disadvantage.

"Wanna see a cool trick? Seems like we can all learn new things, much like Poynter's teleport."

I don't know if it's the loss of blood, but I'm still not following what he's saying.

"Here, let me show you."

He then pulls a rosary from inside his shirt and whispers _"release, Judgment"_. The pendant transforms into a fancy gun made of silver adorned with gold, aimed at me.

"Like I said before, it's not personal. I just hope you won't hold a grudge."

"Sorry, but I don't think I can bring myself to it. Not after seeing the friends I cherish as my family coated in blood."

I know this voice too well.

"Tom, you have to escape! He's here to kill us all!"

"Thomas..." Danny lowers his gun for a moment, turning to face Tom who's making his way downstairs, eyes fixed on him.


	5. Friend or Foe

_Disclaimer: Guess what? Yep, nothing has changed._

Chapter V

Tom couldn't believe the scene before his eyes. He sees a motionless Dougie around Harry's neck, both standing in a crimson puddle, whilst Danny aim a gun at Harry.

"I don't really know what's going on, but I can't allow that, DJ," Tom's voice is stern, as he gets to the bottom of the stairs.

"Eh? And you think you alone can do do something about it? Even Harold couldn't beat me!" This time Danny has Tom under his aim.

"Maybe I don't have to fight."

"What ya mean?"

Tom slowly closes his eyes, and in a flash, he's before the curly haired brunet, mere inches apart.

"How did you—"

"I mean **this**!"

The blond quickly closes the gap between the two, placing his lips on Danny's, his hands cupping the brunet's face. The freckled boy drops his gun, which goes back to its original form. He closes his eyes briefly, resting his hands on Tom's shoulders. He then lightly pushes the later away, mumbling "I can't" over and over.

"I don't know why you would want to harm us, but I know well enough that what I felt from you when we first met was genuine," Tom says, in a serious tone. "That's the kind of thing you can't feign."

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! YOU KNOW NOTHING!" Danny yells, picking his rosary off the floor and taking a few steps back. "I wanted it to be easier, but you leave me no choice! Come to the Clock Tower by the sunset, and we'll finish it once for all."

Without warning, he jumps through the window, but when Tom reaches to see him, there's not a single sign of Danny in the streets.

He then rushes over to Harry and Dougie, to attend to their wounds.

~#~

I don't know what just happened, but what I do know it's that Tom saved us. Not in an usual way, but again, that's Tommy for you. Like Dougie says _"Tom is a lover, not a fighter"_.

"Harry, are you okay? Oh my God, you're bleeding!"

"Calm down, Tom. Much of this isn't mine. You got to help Dougs first!"

Tom takes our unconscious mate's pulse, to feel it just too weak.

"You can't let him die, Tom! I'm begging you!"

"I could prepare something with some herbs from my garden, but I don't think he would resist for so long," he says in a tone of utter defeat.

"But what do we do then? I can't lose him!" That's all I can say without choking on the tears cascading down my face.

"We won't lose no one, Harry. No one."

Suddenly, Tom has an aura enveloping him, and I can see something glow on his chest, under his shirt. He puts both hands on Dougie's shoulders and the cuts start closing up. I look at him wanting to ask how he's doing that, but I decide against it.

When he's finished, he collapses, scaring me to death.

"Tom! Are you okay, mate? Speak to me!"

"I guess... I'm leaving all the 'saving the day' for you two... Not sure I can handle it..." he says half-conscious.

"You git," I say hugging him tight, "thanks for everything." I get up on my feet, carrying him in bridal style to the sofa.

Strangely enough, I notice my wound is now healed. What in the world happened to Tom?

~#~

I've been watching Dougie for a while now. He's still sleeping, but he's no longer in danger, since Tom healed him and he's not pale any more. I'm not sure of anything that has happened today, except that I would be left devastated if something happened to him. I mean, I would be if something happened to Tom as well, but it's somewhat... _different_.

Stroking his hair, I start to replay all that happened earlier and how much it affected us. Could it all be related to what me and him found out? And who's Danny after all? He did say more than once _"it's not personal"_ and he couldn't bring himself to shoot Tom. Does that mean he's working for somebody, or being forced to do it? If so, how can we get him on our side?

"I take it you're trying to think of something too complicated for that little brain of yours?" I hear a meek voice say.

"And if you do not shut up, I'll kick your arse real good."

He's now giggling like a school kid, as he reaches his hand to touch my face.

"Hey."

"Hey, you."

"How you're feeling?"

"Like the cheese you put in your _hazburgers_."

"How?" I ask, not totally understanding the analogy.

"All sliced up."

I can't help but laugh, knowing that he's back and good.

"You really gave a scare, you know?"

"Sorry about that. But what happened after I passed out?"

"DJ's name is actually Danny and seems like somebody wants him to off the three of us. He has special abilities as well, and we only got saved 'cause Tom kissed him and he fled. Oh, and Tom's the one who healed you up. Seems like he got new abilities as well."

"Wait. Are you telling me we're alive because Tom snogged DJ?"

"Danny? Yes, but I wouldn't put it that wa—"

I'm cut short, feeling Dougie's lips clashing with mine, not sure of what I should do. Giving in to this new sensation, I find myself responding to the kiss, and feel my heart pounding like it wants free from my ribcage. Then, he breaks off the kiss, resting his forehead against mine.

"So... care to explain to me what was that, _Douglas_?"

"Well, I have a reputation, you know, _Harold_? I can't simply lose to _Tom_."

"Are you telling me I'm just a game for you?"

"And what a fine game, I should add! Plus, I already like you, so there's nothing wrong to it."

I grin and plant a small kiss on his lips.

"Took you two long enough! And what with the I-can't-simply-lose-to-Tom talk?"

"Tom! You're alive!" Dougie beams lunging himself at the other blond.

"Last time I checked, you were the one bleeding to death," he says in a well humoured tone. "And don't hug me so tightly, my chest hurts like hell."

"It was glowing whilst you healed Dougs," I say bringing my knees under my chin.

Tom lifts his shirt a little and we all gasp when we see a star shaped mark over his chest. It's somewhat rosy, as if it's still healing up.

"Come on! Are you trying to be cooler than me, _Tummy_?" Dougie asks, pouting a little.

"It's not like I asked for it. And for your information, you're a bookworm, Dougie. You're uncool by default."

"Guys? I don't want to bring it up but... we still have to do something about Jones," I try not to sound too sombre, but I'm not really looking forward to another fight with him.

"Who?" the two ask in unison.

"DJ, the guy that wants to kill us?"

"But what could we possibly do? Even you couldn't do a thing, Harry."

"Thanks, Dougie," I reply sarcastically. "But while you were out napping, Tom really did all the job."

"So, you're saying we should let him handle the guy?"

"I don't know, Dougie. Seems like he didn't want to harm Tom, though."

"Maybe Tommy can talk him out of killing us with some hot, passionate se—"

"You two _do_ remember I'm _still_ here and I'm _not_ dead, right?" Tom says in his defence, his face scrunched up in disapproval and cheeks tinted pink.

"In any case," I say, "he told us to meet him at the Clock Tower by the sunset. _"To finish it once for all"_," I air quote the last part.

"That leave us with a little more than 4 hours to come up with a plan and take him down," Dougie muses over.

"Could you not say It that way? It's like we have to kill him, or something."

"If worse comes down to worse, I guess there won't be another way, Tom," Dougie says in a unusual serious way. You know things are pretty screwed up when Dougie's serious.

"Not to sound too pessimistic, but he knows about our abilities, too," I say, trying not to sound

"I don't like it at all. I wish it were all a dream," Tom laments.

"A dream! That's it! Tom, you're a genius!" Dougie beams and kisses the other blond's forehead. "Not as incredible as me, but still a genius."

"Thanks... I guess."

"Harry, you tell us everything that happened. I got a plan, but we need to perfect it based on the info we have."

"Ok, Dougs."

"This plan is risky, but taking into consideration where we're standing, the worse that could happen is to get us killed before DJ has the chance to do so."

"Some relief," me and Tom say at time.

"Let's do this, guys!"


	6. Blitzkrieg

_Disclaimer: Is it still necessary?_

_A/N: Dougie's explanations are founded in facts, but maybe I got one or two things wrong. Much of this comes from my curiosity about related subjects and some quick research, to see if I was too off track. Thanks Google translate for the Latin bits. Hahaha! And thanks to y'all reading (you too, kind **anons** :)._

Chapter VI

The sky is already tinted with orange when the two blond boys arrive at the Clock Tower. Dougie has been worried about all this being a trap, but Tom assured him that Danny didn't strike him as the kind of people who do that.

"Easy for you to say. You haven't almost been split in three by him," says a slightly angry Dougie.

"I know what happened, Dougie," Tom tries, being reasonably calm, "but we still don't know many things about him and I prefer to go with my perceptions."

"And that's why I don't know why we are friends, Tom. You're too emotional whilst I'm more on the rational side," the last bit making both boys grin.

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean that brain and heart can't work together," Tom pulls the other boy close, ruffling his hair.

"Oi, stop it!" Dougie protests, trying to free himself "If Danny goes snipper on us, I'll blame you for that!"

The tall building is pretty impressive. The enormous clock is surrounded by three angels with long hair; one sitting atop in lotus position, and the other two supporting the clock with their backs, each on either side, one wing spread. Once you get inside, you are basking in walls ornamented with angels and knights in many sizes and shapes, and you can see a huge golden bell hanging from the roof far above, in front of a goddess-like statue in a praying position.

The duo then start going up, taking the stairs that seem to stretch for miles, in an almost never ending spiral.

~#~

When they get to top floor, they see Danny sitting on the edge of the tower, legs dangerously dangling over, playing with some birds.

"Come on, dude. That's disgusting, you should know pigeons are just winged rats," Dougie reprimands the other boy.

"You sure took your time," Danny says without turning to face the boys. "Where's Judd?"

"Harry isn't with us 'cause he gave me some of his blood, after you almost felled me. Why? Are you disappointed 'cause it's just me and old Tom here?"

"I really don't care. It's not like I can't go after him as soon as I'm finished with the two of you."

"Before we do anything... I have something I gotta ask you," Tom speaks for the first time since their arrival.

This time the brunet turns to face the boys making him company. His eyes are a little puffy and red, as if he'd been crying.

"What's is it, _Thomas_?"

"Do you really want to kill us, or are you following orders?"

Danny opens his mouth, about to say something, but closes it again and remain silent before finally speaking. "I don't see what use this kind of information would have for _dead people_."

"I wanted to avoid it as much as you, but I guess we won't get to an agreement any time soon." Tom lets out a heavy sigh before turning to Dougie. "Let's go, Dougie. Let's _beat _some answers out of him."

"And now we're talking! Let's go, Tommy boy!"

"I wonder what you two can possibly do," Danny mocks them, unable to suppress a laugh.

Dougie unsheathes a wooden stick whilst Tom puts his hands together, as if he's praying on his knees.

"Come at me, _Poynter_."

"Don't mind if I do, but first—"

With a flick of his forefinger, Dougie makes Danny's rosary come flying into his hand.

"When did you lear—"

"It wouldn't be fair if you were to use a gun when my only weapon is some wood, right? Here, take one for you, too," Dougie says throwing the curly haired boy a stick similar to the one he has.

"Now... shall we?" Dougie says assuming a fighting instance,

"This is gonna be interesting. Let me see the tricks you learned from Harold."

Then the fight begins, both combatants attack and analyse each other as trying to figure out the adversary's weakness. Dougie's disadvantage is pretty clear, and most of time all he can do is block and dodge. But Danny seems to be having fun and maybe is planning on continue their game for a little while. They are now face to face distant only by both weapons crossed like blades in a sword fight.

"Not too shabby, I'll give you tha'," Danny smirks, seeming rather content with the fight.

"Thanks. I got the best master in the whole world, mind you," Dougie winks, whilst beads of sweat run down his left cheek.

"Still, it's not enough to beat me!" And with a swift motion, the blond's weapon is knocked away from him and he's kicked to the ground. Whilst he tries to regain his balance, Danny takes his crucifix back changing it into a weapon and steps a foot on Dougie's chest, rapidly taking aim.

"You did well, but in the end, it wasn't enough," he grins. "I could use a sparring mate, but I can't do anything about it now. Goodbye, Douglas."

It's then when they hear distant buzzing approaching the building. Both look up to sky only to see a swarm of snow white butterflies descending upon then.

"Butterflies? But this sounds like a swarm of bees or grasshoppers!"

Suddenly Danny feels the body disappear from under his feet, and his gaze immediately falls upon Tom still in the same position with a fatigued Dougie sitting by his side.

"You—" But he doesn't have time to took aim again, as the bugs are already circling him like some magically guided mist. He tries fighting the butterflies off, but there's way too many. His vision has been limited from all the dancing white around him, when he realizes the white is slowly, but surely, turning into red.

"POYNTER!" A loud howl can be heard among the buzzing, now crimson, cloud. Just like it came, the swarm goes away, the red of its flapping wings, contrasting against the sun going down at the horizon.

A loud thud is heard from a gun dropping down to the floor, followed by Danny's buckling knees.

"How..." He's now having trouble articulating his phrases, for him now feel exhausted and completely depleted of energy "did you do that?"

Dougie smirks and starts walking to the boy on the floor.

"You know Tom's ability let's him communicate with living beings, right?" His smile is now a mischievous one "I figured we could try to get this to make him actually control them, neat, huh?"

"That's... impossible! He shouldn't have this level of control in such a short amount of time!" his vision starting to get hazy.

"Those were _Papilio Lamia_, or if you prefer, _vampire butterflies_. They can fool one with their celestial appearance but one wrong move, and you'll be nothing more than the new 'colour' in their wings."

Danny just watch him talk, realising he can't move a single muscle.

"As you probably noticed, the sound emitted by them is similar to those made by bees or wasps. It's used to disorientate the target, and combined with the "white cell" effect their wings give, it's the perfect way to rob one from sight and hearing, whilst executing a deadly attack. The victim starts panicking, and the adrenaline produced reacts with a substance the bug inject through its proboscis, numbing the prey's body."

During all the explanation blue eyes stare into blue, in defiance, but this battle has been long decided.

"Whoa, am I an encyclopedia, or what?" Dougie laughs, proud of himself.

"Defeated — in every sense of the word — by some bloody butterflies." Danny says in disbelief, and starts laughing to himself. "I can't believe it."

"You can say that again! But you know, you really should thank Tom, because if wasn't for him, you would be drained _dry_ by now"

"I won't accept defeat that easily, Douglas"

"I thought that would be the case, so I invited someone else to convince you." Dougie says nonchalantly, turning his back, and going to check on Tom.

"That's for cutting up my boyfriend!"

And after that, Danny finds himself slowly drifting in a world of darkness, falling face to the floor.

~#~

"Are you sure about this, Dougs?" I ask him, not sure if we should follow through with his plan.

"Yeah, Dougie. I don't think it's safe." Tom follows, letting me know I'm not the only one uncomfortable with the whole idea.

"Let me remind you two of something: we're being chased by a man who wants to send us to the next life for some ungodly reason, and on top that, our city will be annihilated in two days. I don't think 'safety' was ever an option, guys."

"Can I just say, it scares me when you actually say something reasonable?"

"Shut it, _Tummy!_"

"But how do we do this?" I ask, even though I'm pretty sure his explanation will leave me bloody confused.

"Hmm... Let me try and make this easy for you to understand. Do you know what REM is?"

"Rapid Eye Movement?"

"Correct, Tommy boy!" A now overly excited Dougie claps his hands together, like a teacher who just got a right answer from one of his students. "REM sleep is a kind of sleep where our brain works as much as if we were awake."

I can see he's really enjoying himself with this talk. It's easy to know, 'cause he has that twinkle in his eye the entire time.

"Also, do you know how sometimes we can remember dreams we had in minimal details after we wake up? Those are dreams we have during REM sleep. Even though some of them seem to be hours long, it happens in a really short amount of time."

"So, you're saying we're going to sleep and train inside our minds in those 4 hours?"

"Exactly! Right now time is against us, but if we can find a way to do it effectively, we can gain results worth 3 months of intense training. Plus, we won't be needing sleep or food inside a dream!" He's beaming now.

"Babe, I don't want to sound like a moron, but..." I pause before going on with my argument "wouldn't that tire us mentally, what would then affect our bodies?"

Instantaneously both turn to stare at me, making me feel like I said the dumbest thing in all history.

"What?" I try shyly.

"That's a good point!" Dougie exclaimed.

"You called him 'babe'!" Tom squealed.

Me and Dougie look at Tom. Sometimes I do believe he's like a _fangirl_ trapped in a boy's body.

"But the thing is, we can't have the three of us asleep at the same time. We should decide who's the other one going with me. We'll need someone to give some of his vitality to help the other two recover faster."

"I think I should g— "

"Tom, you're coming with me."

"What?" Me and Tom say at the same time.

"We need someone to protect us in case the _gun boy_ comes back, and we can't afford to have that ability of his taking advantage of an improved Harry," Dougie states, mouthing a silent 'sorry' to me. "Not only that, but Haz is by far the one with most stamina, so he should be fine even after sharing some of it with both of us."

"Makes sense." The words escape my mouth, even if I'm a little disappointed for not being picked.

"I think I know of a way to defeat him, but we have to work hard for now."

"It's ok with me," Tom sighs.

"Great, now let's take some sheets and make the floor more comfortable for our little nap," Dougie orders us.

Tom and Dougie lay down with their hands linked and their foreheads touching. Dougie tells me their sleep probably going to be restless and I should hold them still. The only thing I can do now is hope for their success.

~#~

Tom slowly opens his eyes and sees a pale Danny lying with his face on the floor, at my feet.

"Oh, my God. He's still alive, right?" concern dripping from each of his words.

"If you did your part right, yeah," Dougie replies sarcastically. "Now let's take him home. There are many things we need to get out of him. Maybe this time we can_ truly _learn something."


	7. Lone Wolf

_Disclaimer: *yawns*_

_A/N: I made a book cover for this fic (yay!). May not look like it, but it's something more or less like the clock from the Clock Tower. Let's just say it's the thought that counts. hahaha!  
_

Chapter VII

Danny wakes up to an unfamiliar place. The sun is long gone, and he can see outside the window a garden filled with plants and some animals. Or at least he _thinks_ those things moving outside are indeed animals. Looking at himself, he discover he's now in nothing but his boxers, four limbs shackled to what seems to be a chair made of lead. After some struggle, he resigns to his fate as a hostage, when he hears a nearby door clicking open.

"I brought you something to eat. You must be starving."

"I don't need your compassion, Thomas."

"Can we drop the 'Thomas' and the 'Fletcher'? You can just call me 'Tom', you know," the blond says with a shy smile, placing the tray he's carrying on a coffee table nearby. For some reason, this gesture seems to give Danny some inner peace.

"Ok, _Tom_," he complies, "Why am I here? And more important, why didn't you kill me?"

Tom frowns for a moment before replying. "I thought I made it pretty clear to you that I don't like to fight. Least of all, go around killing people," his smile returning to his face, now full blossomed, dimple showing.

"Now eat something, you're still recovering from severe blood loss."

"Doesn't seem like it, since I'm chained to a bloody chair."

"Not my idea. Actually it was Dougie's," Tom is now looking at the floor, slightly flushed "I wanted to put you in my bed, but he said we couldn't take such risks."

Danny doesn't know how to respond to that. He actually tried to kill him and his friends, but still, this boy treats him so well, and seems to genuinely care about him. All those sensations are pretty new to him, since all he's been taught in his life was 'to fight, to defeat, to get stronger'. Truth to be told, it's not like he _enjoyed _his work, but rather it's the _only_ way he could find out who he's really is.

Suddenly, the bell door rings and Tom excuses himself to go see who is the visitor. It doesn't take long, and Tom is back with his two friends behind him.

~#~

"How are we today?" Dougie asks Danny, with a smile on his face.

"What do you think? I feel like _shit_ after losing to you!" comes the sharp answer from the captive boy.

"Don't be such a sore loser! You're the one who started the fight, in the first place," I say, pointing out the obvious fact.

"Shut up, Harold!"

"What a nerve! Want me to punch the lights out of you again?" And I feel Dougie's hands on my shoulders, as well as Tom's on my chest, trying to keep me from falling for his taunt.

"Again, why am I naked?" Danny questions and a silence falls upon us all.

"Do you think Tom got kinky with you, eh?"

"What? Shut up, Dougie! I didn't do anything!" Tom defends himself, as white as a sheet. He must be part chameleon, 'cause he sure can change his colours very _easily_.

"That's not what I was thinking! I was just wondering why!" Danny's blushing now, and his freckles remind me of strawberry ice cream with cinnamon. Don't ask me why, but they do.

"Calm down, Jones. We only wanted to make sure you weren't carrying weapons or anything on you," I say, finding the situation rather funny. "Unless you're gonna tell us you can transform your underwear into a sword."

We all burst into laughter, except for Danny. Still, it doesn't take too long, and to our surprise, he's laughing with us. Not that fake, cold laugh from our earlier fights, but one of those from when we first met him. He seems to realise that, and feeling all eyes on him, quickly quiets himself.

"Guys? We still need to interrogate him."

"Not 'interrogate', Dougie. We're just going to ask him some things," Tom corrects him.

"Whatever, Tom. Say, Daniel, you have an outline of a huge bird on your back. Is it related to your abilities?"

"Why do you ask me tha', Douglas?"

"I prefer 'Dougie'. I'm only asking because Tom got a huge star on him chest, and they pretty much look the same."

He makes no attempt to answer, and I can sense Dougie's already getting a little frustrated. If there's one thing I learned about him, is that he loses his cool easily every time he's denied information. Ha, geeky boy!

"Let me be clear," Dougie takes in a deep breath. "You can tell me, or I can probe around your memories, not caring if I leave your brain damaged, converting you into some sort of living cabbage. Which one's gonna be?"

"You sure talk big for someone small, _Dougie_."

Sensing things are not going to end up well, this time I'm the one keeping Dougs from punching him. Tom seems to have a better idea and motions for us to follow him outside the room.

"I don't think it's working. I feel like he has this _wall_ around him, and doesn't really wants to let anyone in." Tom states, plopping himself down on a chair.

"Do you reckon we can get anything out of him?" Dougie voices my very concern.

"I guess we should try another another method. In fact, I think you two should let me handle it."

"I don't think it's such a good idea, Tom," I object, worried about what my friend could do.

"If you ask me, Thomas wants some Daniel loving," Dougie says, back on his 'perv mode'.

"I'm not having this conversation again! Harry, keep him busy, while I handle things, ok?" And he's going back into the room we left Danny, leaving me and a smug looking Dougie alone.

"So, what do you have in mind?" he says getting dangerously close.

I hate you, Tom. How could you leave me with him, when he's in _that_ state.

~#~

Tom's now facing a mildly confused Danny, not knowing what's happening, as they can hear noise of things falling to the ground, over a continuously repeated _"Stay away from me, Dougie"_. They can also hear a maniacal — almost psychotic — laugh echoing throughout the house, and to be honest, that scares him a bit.

"I'm sorry for my crazy friends," Tom apologises.

"Actually, I'm more worried about Harold. Do you reckon it's safe to leave him with Douglas, right now?"

"Believe me, it's _never_ safe with Dougie around." And both laugh to their hear contents.

"But you still hungry, right? Here, let me feed you," Tom brings back the tray with food. "Don't worry, it's not poisoned."

Danny tries to protest, but before he has the chance, he already has a napkin tied around his neck and a toast shoved into his mouth. Deciding on accept the favour, since he's famished, he takes his time to appreciate Tom and everything about him. How he always speaks in a such caring way about his two friends, even when they tease and annoy him; how his dimple always poke when he gives a smile; how his chocolate eyes seem to carry innocence as pure as children's.

After they're finished, he just can't deny he indeed feels something for the gentle blond. He knows he shouldn't — he doesn't have the right to — but he can't help it.

"That's better, right? Now, we get rid of this," Tom says whilst unshackling the boy's ankles and wrists.

The brunet take his time, rubbing the afflicted regions of his limbs, before he stands up and walks towards the other boy, getting far too close.

"What makes you think I wouldn't kill you right now and try to escape?"

"I don't feel any animosity coming from you." Tom states, as he avoids looking into those blue eyes. "Besides, you had your chance to do so. More than once, in fact," a small smile playing on his lips.

Danny doesn't speak, but instead, he looks at the boy in front of him from head to toe, as if scanning for something.

"What I _do_ feel coming from you, it's sadness, loneliness. Like you've been carrying a heavy burden that's just too much for you on your own." Tom's expression changes into a benevolent one, "Not that I feel pity for you, I just want you know you don't have to go alone any more: you have us, now."

Inhaling sharply, Danny feels like he's rooted on the spot, his body all stiff, until he feels warm arms pulling him into a hug. Unable to keep his façade any more, he breaks down sobbing, holding on to Tom like he's the lifesaver he needs in this huge dark ocean he's in. Somehow, it just feels right, and he can't seem to hold back everything he kept in till now.

~#~

After half destroying Tom's house, I'm now tickling Dougie into oblivion, as I want him to surrender and help me fix up the place. I get him pinned down to the floor, and we're both panting from our antics.

"Say it, come on!" I order in a mocking tone.

"Never! A true warrior never surrenders!"

"You shall die with honour, then." I hold his arms still with one hand, to use the free one to tickle him some more.

"Okay, okay! I surrender!" He screams in between fits of laughter.

"Uh? Thought a true warrior never surrenders?"

"You can't be a true warrior if you're not alive."

"Fair enough," I say lying down next to him. We stay in this for a moment, when I feel his hand on top of mine.

"Do you think everything's gonna work out for us? I mean, me, you, and Tom can really avoid what's going to happen?"

"I don't know, Dougs. I like to think we'll do something about it. We should be dead by now, right? But we're not, we're here, together," I give his hands an assuring squeeze. "It's not like our destinies are set in stone, you know?"

"You're starting to sound like Tom, all emotional and stuff," he says snuggling into my chest. "But the worst part is that I don't seem to mind," he finishes with a chuckle.

That's how we stay all the night. I wrap my arms around him, and we slowly drift into a deep sleep after the hell of a day we're having. Right now, I can only hope things to be better in the morning. May the sun come bringing us the answers we need, turning all of this into a big, bad memory we don't wanna keep.


	8. For Redemption of a Sinner

_Disclaimer: I would like to say some of it is true, but I can't._

_A/N: Almost ten chapters! Who knew I would get so far, eh? To celebrate this, let's have another update this week. ;)_

Chapter VIII

I hear a loud noise coming from the room Tom's in, and open my eyes. I get up without waking Dougie up, and then head to the door. When I open it, I see my friend lifeless body resting on the floor, soaked in a crimson puddle, on the wall a message also written in red reads _"I'm gonna take everything you love away from you. You can't stop me, Harold"_. I hear the same noise, this time coming from where I left Dougie. I dash back there, only to find him in a similar state to Tom's.

"Dougie... Tom..." Their names escape my lips, when I finally fall to the ground, on my knees.

My vision isn't focusing on anything when I hear Danny's laughing, mocking me.

"In the end, you couldn't protect anyone. How pitiful!" his words numbing my body, leaving me hollow.

"YOU!" My voice is filled with despair and anger. "Tom trusted you, he believed in you! That's how you pay him?"

Not able to contain my wrath, I engage him in unarmed combat. Still, fatigue starts to get to me, whilst Danny doesn't seem to be having any trouble at all. Suddenly, he moves too fast for me to keep up, and the next thing I know, I'm on the ground feeling my ribs in intense pain, vision blurring.

"I s'pose you lack what it takes to protect one," he says, in a nonchalant tone. "Do you wanna win? Then, get stronger! Just know tha' I'm letting you live for now. We gonna settle this some other time."

Not having more energy to get up, I see him walking away, until he's just a big blur walking away.

"Harry! Wake up!"

I open my eyes to see Dougie hovering over me, a massive frown on his face.

"You're alive!" I pull him into a tight hug using more force than really necessary.

"Yeah, but not for so long, if you keep on squeezing me that tight," he replies playfully, protesting against my chest.

"Sorry," I loose my grip on him, "didn't mean to hurt you."

"Don't worry, I'm not _that_ fragile," he winked at me, before placing a light kiss on my lips and getting up.

"We're still at Tom's right?"

"Can't you tell by looking at the _battlefield_ around us?"

It's not like Tom's place is always a huge mess — it really isn't — but we must've slept before we could tidy everything. Plus, Tom's gonna be mental when he sees this. I look at Dougie, who just nods, as if he knows what I'm thinking.

"You..." I give him a doubtful look. "You're not reading my mind, right?"

"What? No!" He sounds genuinely offended. "What do you think I am? Some crazy, jealous boyfriend?"

I smile at his use of the word 'boyfriend'.

"Who said you're my boyfriend?" I risk, trying to keep myself from laughing.

"You said it yourself, when you knocked Danny out. Don't you remember?"

"Cheeky git."

"That you love so much," he replies, sticking his tongue out in my direction.

I start to laugh, but then, I recall we left Tom and Danny alone. Remembering the dream I just had, I rush to the room, Dougie behind me asking what's wrong. I swing the door open, almost tearing it off its hinges. My eyes scan the place, finally landing on Tom sitting on the floor, with Danny's head on his lap, stroking the snoring brunet hair.

"Stay quiet, you two! He didn't got much sleep last night!" Tom half shouted, half whispered. How can he do that?

"What are you doing? Why he's off the shackles?" Dougie asks trying to mimic Tom way of shouting in a low tone.

"I've told you before, he's _not_ evil."

"That's the same thing you said about that man-eating plant you brought home, last month," I add trying to make a point.

Tom shoots me a _drop-dead-right-now_ look, before continuing "He cried himself to sleep. I don't know what's the baggage he's coming with, but it seems to be pretty heavy."

"And from what I see, you've already decided on accepting him and everything that comes with it, am I right?" Dougie tone's low and soft. He pulls me into the room with him, and we sit next to the other two.

"I guess you could say so," Tom replies without taking his eyes off the boy resting on his thighs, the corners of his mouth threatening to form a smile.

"Just don't go trusting him too much, Tom. I don't want to see you hurt." I say with a serious look on my face. "In any way."

"You worry too much, Harry. I wonder if your motherly side is starting to kick in, too," he looks me in the eyes, fully smiling.

"Shut up, Tom," I try to change the subject. "Let's go, Dougs. We need to make something for us all to eat."

"Wait, you two cooking? In my kitchen? Thanks, but no thanks!"

"What are you implying, Tommy?" Dougie kicks him in the shin.

"Ouch! I'm not _implying _anything, I'm _stating _the obvious." He places Danny's head on a cushion, before getting up. "Take good care of him, and **no** shackles on, ok?" With a last stern glance, he makes his way to the kitchen.

"What's up with the saucy mouth?" I say, more as an afterthought.

"Yeah, he reminds me of somebody, but I can't say exactly who it is..."

"Can't you recognize a mirror when you see one, _Douglas_?" I tease him.

"I'm not like that!" He throws a cushion at me.

"Sure, Dougs. Sure."

~#~

We're all in the kitchen eating breakfast — after some reluctance from my part — when we see Danny's figure appear at the door.

"Hey," he tries hesitantly.

"Hello there," Tom speaks, almost choking as he readily tries to swallow his bite and greet the visitor.

"Hi, Danny. Slept well?"

"Huh... yes. Thanks, Dougl— Dougie."

The silence falls heavy over us. I feel Dougie elbow me on my side and Tom stomp on my foot at the same time, as I'm the only one who haven't greeted him. I don't know if it's the dream, but I don't feel like trusting him. I certainly don't want that nightmare to come true.

"Alright, mate?" I try to sound at least polite.

"Yeah, Harry. That's the first time I slept well in ages. I feel a lot better."

"Come eat breakfast with us," Tom motions for Danny to come sit with us, taking the chair across him.

After some inner struggle, he join us, and we eat like nothing happened yesterday. I feel a little bad 'cause he's now the same guy we first met. Even Dougie is acting normal around him, whilst I'm the only one who seems to be holding a grudge.

"Tom?" Dougie's voice suddenly pulls me back from my thoughts. "Do you mind if I ask you a favour?"

"What, Dougs?" he asks, drinking his milk.

"Could you dress your _boyfriend_ better? I get it, he's fit and all... But no need to go around only in his _boxers_."

Tom immediately spits his drink on Danny's face, leaving the boy drenched in milk. Me and Dougie are bellowing with laughter, whilst Tom apologises and tries to dry him.

~#~

The three of us are all sitting on the sofa, staring at a fidgeting Danny —now fully dressed— waiting for him to tell us his story.

"Come on, mate! It's not like we're going to kill you and stuff," Dougie spits, getting inpatient.

"Let him talk, Dougie. What good will come from pressuring him?" Tom reasons, and I'm backing him with a nod.

"For fucks sake, we don't have too much time, do we?"

"I— I feel like I owe you that much," Danny finally speaks, making all eyes fall back on him. "I'll try to be brief."

Then, he starts telling us everything about him. He's an experiment like us, but he was trained for the sole purpose of disposing of anyone that could be perceived as a threat to the government.

"At first I didn't want to accept the jobs, but they made a deal with me: I can have information about my origins, every time I complete a mission successfully. That's when I took the wrong path."

"How are you sure they're not only using you?" Tom's voice is thick with fury.

"I don't. But it's the only thing I got now. You know the rosary I wear? It's supposedly my mum's. Even if I have no idea if I _still_ have one," he casts his eyes to the floor.

I can't say I don't understand him, 'cause we don't have any clue about our past, or our origins. None of us do, and it's assumed we're all orphans. All we can remember, goes as far as being in company of our assigned housemates for a long time.

"I remember some of my last missions included taking down a guy with _pyrokinesis_ and a t_echnopath _girl."

"Control over fire and electronics," Dougie says, seeing the confused look on my face.

"Correct, Dougie. Apparently they started abusing their abilities, or so I was told, and I had to..." Danny trails off, and we instantly understand what he means by that.

"But why send you after us? We're not power crazed or anything!"

"That's not the point here, Harry. They knew you and Dougie were starting to get suspicious, and you two are indeed a strong duo. Together, you two got the brains, force, and skill to take on anyone. Not only that, but you have been teaching Dougie and vice-versa. Think about it!"

I guess I can see his point. But we're not a threat, I'm sure of that.

"I understand that, but why involve me?" Tom asks, trying to see how he fits in this puzzle.

"You're their friend, and you have some great hidden potential." Danny smiles. "Just think: why are you the only who doesn't have a housemate? Also, you must have noticed some abilities you didn't have before, right?"

Tom bites his lower lip, giving us a silent answer.

"Does it have anything to do with his star mark?" I pry, getting as curious as Dougie would.

"Yeah, a tattoo appears when you reach a certain level of maturity. Mine is from I finally could control my weapon morphing. And no, I can't morph my underwear," he adds with a laugh, which surprises all of us.

"Still, that doesn't mean that you can't develop new ones, after you got yours," he speaks looking at Dougie, who has his hand raised, about to ask something. "And yeah, you two will get yours, eventually."

"Cool!"

"Not now, Dougs," I hush him. "What about this city? What exactly is it?"

"Good question! We're actually in a island secluded from what we could call the 'normal world'. They can't see us from the outside, nor can we exit here easily."

"You mean the desert?"

"As well. It's some kind of dimensional distortion, and anyone trying to cross it — "

"Will perish not finding the way back," the four say the last bit in unison. It's a well-known law around here.

"They also decided it may be too dangerous to have 'special' people like us in this world."

"Meaning that's why they'll try to eliminate us all in the next days," I clench my fist.

"If you already know that much, I see why they wanted to off you first."

"Err.. I'm hearing all these details now," Tom offers, lips forming a small smile.

"Me, too. Kinda, because I still don't have access to all of the information we got from a bot we defeated," I chew on my cheek.

"I had my suspicions and tried some research, but couldn't find much," Dougie confess, a little disappointed in himself.

"Are you telling me they want your heads for no apparent motive, then?" he asks us, looking surprised.

"_Pretty much"_, _"You could say so"_,_ "I guess"_ are the answers we give him.

"But what are you gonna do, now? Not only you've failed your mission, but now you're helping the enemy."

"I'm not _helping_ the enemy, Tom!" He spits, making our blond friend look down for a second. "Not, if I no longer see them as my enemies. I'm just telling some _friends_ about my past," he rubs under his nose with his forefinger, looking through the window.


	9. Parted Ways

_Disclaimer: I can't even. Seriously._

Chapter IX

"Do you mean what you just said?" Tom's eyes are glistening with tears of joy.

"Course, I do," comes the reply from Danny, still not facing any of us.

Tom launches himself on the brunet, hugging him tight. He's a little startled at first, but soon responds with a hug of his own.

"Are you trying to tell me to trust someone who almost killed us, that easily?"

The pair untangle themselves to look at me with disappointment and hurt. I can also feel Dougie's eyes boring on me.

"Harry!" Tom snaps, "He's putting his life in danger telling us all this stuff. At least be grateful!"

"You're too much in love to see what's in front of you!" I shout back.

"It's ok, Tom. He has every right to think so," Danny says calmly.

"It's _not_ okay! He can't treat you like that!" he takes a freckled hand on his own.

"Enough!" Dougs' voice echoes in the room.

Me and the other two are thrown back to our respective seats. Unable to move, my eyes quickly fall upon Dougie, who has his hand stretched in our direction.

"Are you even listening to yourselves? We're about to be exterminated, we can't go fighting each other!" He runs a hand through his hair.

"Babe, release me. Please," I beg him.

"Sorry, but not until we listen to _everything_ Danny has to say. Please, stay quiet or I'll have to seal your lips movements, too."

Great, now even him is against me. Can't they see I'm trying to protect them?

"The same goes to you, _Tummy,_" he warns when Tom opens his mouth to say something. "Danny, if you may..."

"Right, Dougie. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you much more," he stretches his cheeks with his fingers, revealing some sort of brace on his lower teeth. "It prevents me of saying anything directly related to the matter. I, _literally_, can't."

He doesn't look to pleased. Is that some sort of remote control? What if they're controlling him, right now?

"But don't worry, I won't kill you guys, nor will I join your group," he states.

"What?" Me and Tom say at the same time.

"Like Harry said, I did awful things to you, and I can't waltz in your lives just 'cause I feel like it. One day, though, I'll be back to help you," he turns to face Tom. "Until then, wait for me. It's a promise."

"What are you planning to do, Danny?" Dougs asks him, speaking for all of us.

"I think I'm going back to my place, wait for them to contact me again. Since my mission failed, they may put the operation on hold and think of something else. At any rate, I'll try to buy you some time."

"I appreciate that, mate," Dougie smiles.

"Could you release me now? But keep Harry and Tom still. Can you do that?"

"Hey! I beat your sore ass, so of course I can do it," he teases.

Dougs releases Danny's movements and give back his mp3 player and his rosary. I try to protest, but my body won't respond: I'm totally immobilised.

"Now, for the last thing I can tell you: you're gonna need your _full potential_ to win this war." Danny's face is stern, and not a trace of his smile is seen. "You need to find out more information about it. _"Light will come to a brave heart of steel blessed by the purest maiden"_," he says, straightening himself.

"What you mean by that?"

"Sorry, I can't tell you more. You're gonna figure it out, for sure." He then walks to where Tom is, and places a light kiss on his lips. "I promise to take you on a date, after all this is over," he gives the blond a wink.

Unless he mean everything he said, he's _really_ a good actor.

"Goodbye, mates. I'll pray for the time we're gonna be reunited. Until then, keep on surviving!" He jumps trough the window, vanishing on the streets.

"Good God! At least for once, he could use the door!**[1]**" Tom says, making me chuckle. Dougie looks confused, 'cause it does seem like an inner joke.

_**[1] see chapter 5 – Friend or Foe.**_

~#~

Tom still acting weird around me, and we haven't spoken since Danny left, minutes ago.

"It's time for us to think about all clues Danny provided us," Dougie tries to break the awkward atmosphere. "Tom, you're meeting me and Harry at our place, in twenty minutes."

"I don't think it's—"

"That's _not_ a question, Tom. Will you two suck it up, and stop being so childish? Our lives are at stake, here!" His voice raised a tone, looking from me to Tom. "For fuck's sake! You better start getting along again. Like, _now_."

"But Doug—"

"You," he points his finger at me, "start talking why you're being so sceptical of Danny's intentions."

I feel completely cornered. Dougie knows how to be intimidating, sometimes. But I don't answer, and he speaks again.

"You do remember I can take this information by _force_, right?"

Sighing, I finally tell them about the dream I had, and how the thought of losing them both scares me death. Even more, the thought of not being able to protect them.

I can feel Tom's gaze on me, as he stands up and walk over to where I'm sitting. When I raise my head to look at him, I feel the palm of his hands connect with my cheek, making a loud smack sound.

"What did you do that for?" I ask in bewilderment, holding my afflicted face.

He says nothing, but instead, pulls my head against his stomach, in a tight embrace.

"You moron! Don't go deciding these things by yourself." I can hear the familiar, soothing tone in his voice. "Remember I said we're an unit? I mean that. But we need to be honest with each other, for this to work."

Why is that he always knows what to say? "I'm sorry, mate," I say in a small voice. I feel like such a child around him.

"I'm sorry, too. Sorry for being so inconsiderate of what you were feeling. I mean, fuck, that's my very own ability!" He adds with a small laugh, making me chuckle. "Now, go home, take a bath, and I'll show up in a bit, ok?"

"That's better! What would you two do without me, right?" Dougie grins.

"Shut up, Dougie!" We both say to him.

~#~

"So, what do we have so far?" I ask my two friends, the three of us sitting on the floor of mine and Dougie's flat.

"A riddle, maybe a new ally, and a _boyfriend-to-be_ on the run?" Dougs grins, being his cheeky self.

"I mean possible answers to crack the riddle, smart arse," I hit him on the back of his head.

"Ouch! Next time be more specific, then!"

"Guys, we have to take this more seriously. Even if Danny tries to buy us more time, we have only till after tomorrow, for sure" Tom clears his throat to emphasise his point.

"We know," comes our reply, looking as children being scolded by a parent.

""_Light will come to a brave heart of steel blessed by the purest maiden",_" I repeat. "Do you reckon 'light' could be the information we need?"

"I think so, too."

"What about a 'heart of steel'? And it's 'brave', as well," Tom thinks aloud.

"A warrior-type like Harry? I mean, you _do_ need courage to get in a fight..."

"Good to know you think I'm courageous, Dougs."

"Don't get all cocky, Mr. Hero," he pinches my nose.

We start fooling around, and then we see Tom's taking note of what we're saying.

"So, _"A warrior will find information he needs"_... but what about 'maiden' and 'blessings'?" he looks up to me and Dougie.

"A 'pure maiden', must have something to do with being free of sins, or corruption in general." Dougie scrunches up his face. "But I don't think such a virginal person _even_ exists."

"Not everyone is as perv as you, Dougs. There is innocent people in the world!"

"And not everyone is as kind hearted as you, Tom!" He teases the other blond "If wasn't for the 'maiden' part, I'd been considering you to be part of this."

"Shut up!" Tom throws a cushion at him.

"What about angels, then? They're pure enough, right?" I say confident. "And 'blessings' could be them watching over people?"

"Unfortunately," Dougie shakes his head, "angels don't have sex to be classified as boys or girls."

"THAT'S IT!" Tom yells, suddenly.

"What, have you figured it out?" I ask him, my eyes alight.

"Not exactly, but how about the Clock Tower?"

"What you mean, Tommy, my boy?"

"Don't you remember? It's decorated with knights and angels! _Warriors._"

"Yeah, but that doesn't cover the 'purest maiden' bit. Angels can't be girls or boys, I just said that."

"Let's say I'm not talking about the angels, here. Have anything else on your mind?"

"Besides the angels? The only thing there would be—" Realisation dawns on Dougie. "You sly prick! That's it!"

I must say Tom's a genius. Not as brilliant as Dougie, but still. He's grinning, full of himself, but right now, he has every right to do so. Sure, angels may not have a defined sex, but what about a _goddess_?


	10. Those Who Seek Light

_Disclaimer: ...Ya heard that? That's the sound of me not owning anything._

_A/N: There's a shameless song reference here. Let me know if you can find it. ;)_

Chapter X

"It's settled, then. Clock Tower is our next destination!" Dougie beams, as he pushes himself off the floor.

"Wait a minute, Dougs. Even if Tom's hunch is correct, what if it's a trap?" I quickly cast Tom an apology look. "And even if it's not the case, this kind of information –if it's really there– must be guarded by someone or _something_."

I feel my stomach churn a little at the thought of fighting another bot. Not the most pleasant experience I ever had.

"Harry's right, Dougie. Regardless of the situation, we must go prepared," Tom puts his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it lightly, to show he's not profusely offended by my previous statement.

"I'm starting to worry about my contribution to this crew. You two have been rather brilliant, lately," he pouts.

"Aww, Dougie! We can't go without you! Every team needs its comic relief, you know," Tom tries to hugs him, but Dougie shoves him back.

"Now I feel a lot _better_, knowing I'm your particular clown. _Thanks_, Fletcher."

I really appreciate these moments of banter we have. They take some of the load off of our shoulders, and right now, we don't even know for sure if we'll _ever _have them again.

"Now we just need a plan, and we're off, ok?" I look at them both, and they nod back.

~#~

The walk to the tower is a very long one, but we try to make it not look so suspicious. Our plan is to go separately, and meet atop the tower, near the bell. I'm going first, Tom's going from his house, and Dougie will teleport himself once I get there. He says he doesn't want to reappear inside a wall or something, and that's also an opportunity to test the range of his telepathy. But the truth? I think he's just lazy, and won't walk all the way there, again.

It's almost noon when the three of us meet up at the specified place. Dougie brings me a sword and a change of uniform inside a bag _"just in case"_ he tells me. We start searching the area around the statue, but after spending 30 minutes, we start to doubt there's anything there, and maybe we'll have to search the _whole_ tower thoroughly. Not the most exciting thought ever.

"Shit! We'll take more than one day to check every knight in here! This place is huge!" Dougie growls in frustration, his hands going back and forth trough his hair, in a frenzy. Looks as though as he wants to tear his scalp off.

"Don't forget we don't know _exactly_ what we're even looking for. I mean, is it a safe with papers, a computer, a person in a prison who were told all the secrets against their will?" Tom calls from the other side of the room, making me and Dougie give him a strange look.

"What?", he asks feeling our eyes on him. I shake my head, whilst Dougie stops his tentative of a new hairstyle.

"Ok, maybe we could discard the prisoner hypothesis," he mumbles, looking a little embarrassed.

"I guess we need to think it through. We already have the maiden, but now we need a 'heart of steel'. Only that we have six more floors to search, and we don't really got the time," I say, sitting next to giant bell.

"We could try to find a pattern here. Anything about the knights we've checked so far?", Dougie lets his 'thinker mode' kick in. Sometimes I think he spends too much time with machines.

"Mine don't have anything in common: the pose, the weapons, the armour, everything is different from one to another," I point at the decoration.

"Same here, but I would say none of them uses a helmet. Isn't the head something you would want to protect, too?"

"Great point, Tommy! For now let's assume the one we're looking for has a helmet," he produces a notepad from his bag, taking note of what me and Tom are saying.

"Now, for the 'blessing'. How can this big lady," he pats the sculpture, "protect some knights on the walls?"

The silence falls upon us, whilst each tries to come up with a plausible theory.

"Given her position, she can't possibly protect all of them. Just the ones under her." Tom bites his bottom lip, "But it still leaves us with half perimeter of each all six remaining floors."

"You know what doesn't make sense? The tower has 7 floors, and 7 is redeemed as a sacred number. The logic thinking would be for a 'blessing' be on this one, right?" He plops himself on the ground spread-eagled, taking in the surroundings.

It's not like we're going anywhere, from what I see. Tom's still checking around and Dougs' now playing with the light coming from the stained glass behind the maiden.

"We're totally in the shadows, here," I admit in defeat, drawing circles on the ground.

"Shadows... Shadows... Haz! That's it!" Dougie jumps and tackles me with a hug and a peck on the lips.

Before I get the chance to fathom what's happening, he's back to his notepad, drawing, doing some calculation and stuff. He yells for me and Tom to come over, to what we oblige, not fully knowing what's going on. He, then, starts his explanation.

"Remember what Tom said about the limited protection that girl would have over the guys here? Well, what if she could expand it with some help from the nature?"

Tom looks from Dougie to me, to what I respond with a shrug: I'm not following our blond mate, either.

"Can we skip to the part where you actually figure something out?" Tom tries his puppy face as to not offend Dougie.

"Fine, you killjoy," he replies, not too satisfied. "I did some calculations about our position and the light coming from behind her, and a projection of her shadow should take that direction."

"Ok, but we still have six floors to conduct a search."

"Not really. Remember what I said about the number 7? The tower height divided by 7 gives me a number a little above 3. So, I should say we should start from there."

Have I ever mentioned that he scares me whenever he does all this thinking out of nowhere? But as Tom would put it _"There aren't many situations in which Dougie isn't scary"_. Must say I sort of agree with him. Somebody remind me why do I love him, please?

"So, there's a secret room on the third floor? Not really what we asked for, right?" Tom tries to lighten the mood, but me and Dougie don't really catch on his joke.

~#~

We start searching the wall Dougie points to, and we finally find what we think it's the rumoured knight. He's unique in many aspects. He's the only mounted on a horse, and we can't see his face 'cause he's using a helmet. I'm thinking of jumping from here, if we are to do any more searching.

"He's the one, I guess. What now?" I look to the two blonds behind me.

"Try pressing his chest. He's supposed to have 'heart of steel', remember?" Dougs suggests.

I do as he says, but nothing seems to move, much to my annoyance. "It won't bulge. Any more ideas?"

"His horse? I mean, he has a heart, too" Tom points at the animal under the knight.

I try again, following Tom's advice, but nothing happens, again.

"I guess we're on the wrong floor after al–"

We hear a loud noise from the ground floor, and when we look down, the sun painted on the floor, starts opening itself like a chute. I still don't know how Tom turned out be that good with riddles, but he helped a big time.

"And now, gentleman, we're up to some exploration," my boyfriend rubs his hands together, excitedly.

~#~

We're now underground. I'm not sure how deep below we are, but it's quite a ways, 'cause the entrance looks like a dot above our heads.

The corridor is not like something you would expect below the ground: there are lamps and everything is lined with steel. The temperature is nice and seems there's some sort or air system, indicating it's used – or at least has been – by people, or _anything alive_.

"Wait, let me see if I can sense something," Tom grabs me and Dougie by our wrists, halting our walking.

"And?" I ask, dreading another incoming fight.

"Nothing. I'm sure there's no people around here," he says with a shake of his head.

"That's _exactly_ what I didn't want to hear, Tom," I sigh. At least we know what expect from humans enemies. To an extent, I mean. Danny proved me that some time ago. Bad memories.

"You two worry too much. Let's keep going." Dougie reverses the roles, grabbing mine and Tom's writs, pulling us with him.

After walking for ages, we finally see what seems to be the end of the corridor. Crossing a big, metallic door, we're now on a huge room, with many glass containers full of fluids in various colours, the majority being green. There are also a huge computer and some tables with paper thrown over them. The whole place is a big mess, and gives off an abandoned feeling.

"Well, Tom's right. Doesn't look like someone has been here in for years," I say to the other two, taking a look around and flipping through some paper.

"Guys! There's a door here," Dougie shouts, and we go to him.

The door is electronically locked, and even with my strength, It doesn't move. We notice there's a panel nearby with the shape of a hand on it, but if it uses biometry, we can't do a thing, since we 're not authorized personnel.

"I got this. Let's see what I can do," geeky Douglas says, producing a laptop from his bag and hooking it to the machine. How many things he has in there?

Me and Tom watch him doing his magic, until he yells in frustration.

"Fuck! Are you kidding me? We need that shit!" He shakes the screen vigorously.

"What's wrong, mate?" Tom puts a hand on his shoulder, trying to placate some of the little boy's fury.

"This system can't be rewritten, and the thing basically entered self-destruction mode!"

"It's gonna explode?" I flinch at the thought of running back to the entrance, 'cause the flames would incinerate us before we could get out. I couldn't possibly beat the speed of flames consuming the oxygen in here, let alone carry the two of them with me.

"Not like that, Harry," he says, trying to calm down a bit. "It just means we won't be able to use it any more, and whatever is inside, will remain there, locked forever." He slams his hand against the panel, "Just open already, you damned system!"

As if by his order, some lights start flashing, and a message that reads "Access granted" in bright green comes across the screen. The heavy door starts moving, and we take a few steps behind to avoid being hit. Some others doors – circular ones this time – appear inside and start open in many different angles. By the time they're finished, we can see many files piled up, and huge drawers with letters coming from walls.

"Jackpot," Dougie smirks to both of us.

~#~

After some quick research, we find our files, as well as Danny's. We shove all of them in Dougie's bag, as well as the discs we've found.

"Digital and physical copy," he says to Tom. "We can't leave with this mountain of paper, but these discs must have the same info."

"I sure hope so, Dougie. Let's get out of here as quick as we can," he gives a smile, showing his dimple.

"By the way, how did you do that, Dougie? It's almost as the door opened because you wanted it to," I finish putting the last discs inside his bag.

"Dunno. Maybe it's my ability? My charm?" he winks at me and starts laughing. "Let's just get out of here, for now."

We double-check to see if we're forgetting something behind, and step outside the safe/room. Dougie wants to test his hypothesis. He closes his eyes and puts his hand on the panel, willing it to close the door. As he does so, the circular doors all start to close, followed by the heavy, main one. When he opens his eyes again, his chest starts glowing, and he winces a little.

"I guess he's right. It must be a new ability, look," Tom points to what now looks like a rocket and planet with an asteroid ring around it marking Dougie's skin.

"A rocket, Dougs? Seriously?" What's wrong with you two?" I start to tease them. I can't let an opportunity like this slip away! "First a star, now a planet. What am I getting? A fucking _moon_? I'm not sure I want one of those, to be honest."

"You're jealous 'cause you don't have yours," he gives me the middle finger.

"Why am I even being dragged into this?" Tom tries to reason.

In no time, we're all laughing hard, and none of us is exactly sure why. I'm finding it hard to stop, but I manage to get some words out.

"I'm not jealous, Dougs! And do _not_ growl at me!" I make a face at him, only to laugh some more.

"Hazza?" He abruptly halts his guffaw.

"Yeah?" I wipe my eyes.

"I didn't growl," his face goes a little pale.

"Tom?" I ask serious, feeling my heartbeat increase a bit.

"Wasn't me either, mate," he replies, his eyes sensibly widened.

That's when we see three pair of bright yellow eyes, shining from inside the the shadows in the far back of the room. _Shit. I should know it wouldn't be that easy._


	11. Full Throttle

_Disclaimer: Hahahaha! No._

_A/N: I feel like I really let myself go when it comes down to the action bits. Maybe I'm not good with relationships and emotional stuff. :( Oh, well... Something to work on, I guess._

Chapter XI

"What are _those_?" Dougie points to the eyes gleaming in the shadows.

"Tom, I thought you said _"there's no people around"_?" My eyes go searching for his face.

"Does it look _human_ to you?" He replies exasperated, taking a step behind.

He's right, what is now showing itself before us, looks more like some sort of Frankenstein's pet. The creature's rear looks like that of a horse, whilst its body reminds me of a lion covered in massive scales; the forelegs are actually oversized arms, resembling a gorilla; the head directly attached to its body looks like that of an eagle, whilst the other ones – emerging from snake-like tails – look like a python and a bat with fangs bared.

"It doesn't look too friendly, either!" Dougie slowly grabs his bag and throws it over his shoulder. "Tommy, can you communicate with it?"

"I don't want to alarm you, but I can't talk to it. Already tried, but that thing is not exactly what you could call _alive_," Tom swallows hard, beads of sweat starting to form on his forehead.

"Dougie, if it's a machine, that means it's your turn," I tell him with a nervous smile on my face.

"I'll need to touch that thing. You create a diversion for those three heads and I–"

He doesn't even has time to end his sentence 'cause the beast charges towards us at high speed. Dougie teleports himself, and I tackle Tom out of the impact trajectory. The monster leaves a deep dent on the door I couldn't force open. _This isn't good._

"Tom, you ok, mate?" I check to see if he's hurt.

"I'm all right. Thanks, Haz."

"It's not working!" Dougs appears behind us, whilst the _thing _tries to free its heads, now buried in metal. "It's not a cyborg, either!"

It's not alive, but it's not a machine, either. _What in the world is that?_

"Tom, you get out of here with the files. Me and Dougie gonna hold that thing."

"I'm nowhere as fast as you two. Wouldn't it be easier for Dougie escape with the information?"

"You're not cut for fight, _Tummy_. Besides, you can't control that monster, right?" Dougie shoves his bag in Tom's arms, throwing me my sword and holding his own weapon.

"Tom's kinda right," I say after some thinking. "Dougie, you and Tom get out of here, I'll be the bait."

"What? I'm not leaving you behind!"

"Dougs, please. You can come back to help me, if you want. But right now, taking Tom to a safe place takes priority. Please!" I plead with him. He's reluctant at first, but agrees with me, in the end.

"Fine, we're going back to the entrance. From there I'll take him back to our meeting place, because I don't know exactly how much far we've come below the surface." He pauses, gives me a nasty look, and goes on, "You better stay alive till then, or I'll revive you just to beat you again for leaving me!"

I don't think he knows he's not making any sense. "I'm not going down that easy. You should know that," I grab him by his nape, pulling him into a deep, short kiss.

"Hurry up, lovebirds!" Tom is dragging Dougie along with him, disappearing through the door.

The chimera has freed itself, and now has its eyes – all three pairs – on me.

~#~

"Do you reckon it's safe to leave Harry alone with that monster?" Tom asks Dougie, who has been running in front of him all the time. He hasn't spoken to Tom since they left their friend behind.

"What are you saying, Tommy boy? That's Harry we're talking about. If there's somebody who can take on that thing, it's him," he turns to face his blond friend, forcing himself to smile. Tom doesn't even need to sense the other boy's emotions to tell he's putting on a façade.

"You're dead worried about him, aren't you?" His voice is full of understanding. Even if Dougie's not going to admit it, he feels grateful for having such a thoughtful friend.

"What a bothersome ability you have, Fletcher," he feels some tears escape his eyes, quickly rubbing them off his face. "But there's no time for this. Let's get out of here, and be sure to take Harry with us, afterwards."

Tom nods, and they start running even faster, if that's even possible. They know they don't have any time to lose. Normally, Dougie would just teleport them to the entrance and back to the tower. But the corridor is long, metallic walls looking always the same, taking many turns left and right, and he doesn't want to materialize inside a wall, or anything like that. The biggest flaw in his ability is that he has to know _exactly_ where he wants to reappear.

After running for more than 10 minutes, both boys slow down their desperate pace, gasping for air. Tom feels his knees buckle, and slowly slides down along a wall.

"Dougie... I... don't think... we can go any further... like this..." He says in between breaths, trying not to pass out due to the fatigue.

"Fuck! We need to get back to Haz, quickly!" Dougie supports himself on the opposite wall to Tom, having less difficulty in breathing than his friend. "Why is all of this happening? I just want to be able to live with you two! That's all."

Although he's always cheeky and cheery, when Dougie does break down, he does it _hard_. Since none of them has family, they've become a family of their own. Even if he doesn't like to think much about it, since he's with Harry now, and it would be too weird to _snog _a relative.

Tom shuffles closer to the boy and starts stroking his back, making shushing noises. He's sure there are tears falling down, though he can't see his mate's face. He wants to reassure him "everything is going to be ok", but he knows he can't. Not when his own power isn't enough to protect those dear to him.

"Let's go. It's better to move a little bit slower, than not moving at all. You don't want to be a burden to Harry, right?" Tom's now standing, offering his friend a hand. "Also, I have a plan. Let's go, Dougie."

The other boy just smiles and accepts the hand he's been offered. He doesn't understand what Tom means, but he knows him well enough to recognize that decided look; the look Thomas has whenever he makes his mind up about something. "Let's go, Tom."

~#~

I'm not too fond of him, but I think I could use Danny's help now. He's ability would prove useful against this speed freak. _What's with all these huge creatures having so much speed?_

"You're way tougher than that blob I fought the other day, I'll give you that," I say, jumping far from the creature, seeing I can't cut through those ungodly hardened scales. It just growls back, whilst the python head tries to bite me, again.

Not only the heads seem to act of their own volition, but they also retain the characteristics from the original animals. By now, I'm sure that fucking snake is sensing my incoming attacks from my body temperature. The bat head must be using its sonar, too. Sometimes I'm really glad for the biology lessons Dougie gives me.

"This is bullocks! How am I supposed to take it down?" I exhale in middle air, after successfully cutting off one of the tails' heads, only to see it spawn again. I'm already tired and the wounds I have are starting to take a toll on my body and reflexes.

With a quick turn of the monster, I'm hit with the other tail. It sends me flying across the room, landing hard against the wall. I can feel two or three broken ribs, and I'm bleeding too much. I fight to keep myself from losing consciousness, but it's already a lost battle. Everything is a blur, and I see those amber eyes about to charge at me, to give me the finishing blow. _Dougs, Tom, I'll miss you. Sorry, I couldn't keep my promise, my love. I'm really pathetic. _Suddenly,my eyes are too heavy, closing slowly on their own, waiting for my impending doom.

Oddly enough,the attack doesn't come, and I can feel something warm building inside me. I force my eyes open, and I see someone standing in front of me. Looking back to where the chimera is, I see it writhing in pain, being severely electrocuted.

"You dickhead! I thought you said you wouldn't die on me," the person says.

"And I told you once: I'm not losing anyone," I hear another voice say from behind me.

To think I was afraid of not hearing them ever again. I'm really glad they're here.

"Hey, guys," I say meekly, a smile taking form on my lips. "It's good to see you again."

~#~

With a snap of his fingers, Dougie sends electricity, once again, into the monster's body. He's now kneeling in front of me, helping me up. My wounds are gone, and I know it has to be Tom's work.

"How did you do that?" I ask Dougie, trying to understand the current situation.

He just punches me in the face before replying. "There's no time for that," He kisses me and right after it, I can feel a shock on my neck.

"Oi! I thought you're glad to see me again?" I rub my neck and my face.

"And I am," He smirks, "I'm just making you remember something you lost." He moves my sword back to my grip. "Now, go finish that thing, my hero."

"Yeah, Harry. It's your time to shine," I hear Tom say from behind me.

"Are you two wasted, or what? My blade _can't_ cut through that thing."

"Why don't you try it again? We'll help you this time, right, Tom?"

"You bet, Dougs!"

_How can they two be so calm and smiling?_ I want to interrogate them further, but the creature is already standing, its self-healing factor working. Taking a last glance at both my friends, I take instance to make my attack. This time it connects and I take one of those gigantic arms off.

"Told ya!" I hear Dougie scream from afar. "Now, dodge the attacks."

I turn in time to see a massive arm coming at me with a punch, and in a flash I'm already behind the monster, dodging the attack much more faster than what I intended to.

"Great, Haz! Now try to put that speed at your attack and chop the tails down!"

I'm not too sure about what I'm doing, but so far his cheering is making me feel light, giving courage to take on anyone. Doing as he say, I slice both tails in tiny bits, with what seems to be a single movement, but are in fact a rapid succession of swings. Not long after, I'm back to where the other two are standing.

"Bloody hell! What was that?" I ask them, confusion written all over my face.

"It's your potential pushed to the limit," Dougie grins. "There are many more abilities to discover, but for now, we take care of that thing and head home."

"Yeah, I'll cook you two something special," Tom wraps his arms around our necks. "We need a treat from time to time." His smile is now as big as it can get.

The chopped tails start regenerating, when Dougs motions for Tom to do something. Tom closes his eyes, and the air in the room starts to feel slightly chiller, and I can see the part where the chimera is starting to freeze.

"Ok, now I'm officially freaking out. How did you two improved so much in such a short amount of time? And don't tell me it's some training-in-dreams, again." I look into Dougs' eyes.

"Split that big _dog_ over there in two, and you'll find a tiny core inside. Throw it to Tom, and we'll get out of here", he demands. "I'll tell you everything at home."

I cast him a concerned look, before turning to the monster that's being frozen, over and over again. I'm already readying myself to dash and slice the creature, when I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Nope, you're doing it from here," I hear a pair of blue eyes tell me.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Weren't you listening to what I said?" He giggles. "Just put the feeling you use to cut things up into you sword, and do it. Trust me," he adds the last part looking serious.

With a swing of my sword, the frozen corpse splits open, and a small crystal cube rolls over to us. Dougie nudges Tom's shoulder and tells him to _"banish it"_.

"_Return to where you came from"_ are the words Tom utters, before a star shaped mandala glows on the floor, and the crystal implodes in a small ball of white light. At this very moment, the frozen beast starts to disappear, leaving no trace behind. My left wrist starts burning and a dragon –or a winged serpent– with red eyes appears on it. _I'm just relieved it's not a moon._

"So," Tom starts, "who's up for some chocolate cake?"


	12. Fickle Winds

_Disclaimer: I'm waiting for Santa to bring me them as a present. That's all._

_A/N: I don't know why I'm making Tom so physical, but at least he gets his point across? Hahaha! Just remember violence is never the answer, kids. :)_

Chapter XII

We're back home, Tom already finding his way to the kitchen to bake us a cake and make some tea, and Dougie's dragging me upstairs to give me a bath. _What's my age, again? Six? _

"Quit your yapping, will ya? I already told you, let's get rid of this dried blood," he says, already taking my clothes off.

Of course, I can stop him if I want to, but after that inexplicable _boost_ I could easily hurt him without meaning to. Where's Tom when I need him? He always leave alone with Dougie in these situations.

"Ok, ok! At least let me undress on my own," I raise my arms in defeat.

"Good boy. I'll check the water temperature," he grins. "Come in five minutes, or I'll be back to _drag_ you."

After hearing his threat, I strip down to my boxers, before going into the bathroom, letting a pool of clothes behind. The bath is already filled with water, but Dougs is nowhere to be found. Checking again, to see if he's not going to pounce of me out of somewhere, I discard my underwear before going in.

The warm water starts to soothe my sore muscles. Tom healed me up just fine, but I can still feel my body all tense from what happened today. It only gets worse when I think about tomorrow. _Should we really be enjoying ourselves like this, when we haven't won the war? _

"You think way too much. That's not even your specialism," I hear Dougie say.

"Dougs? Where are you?" I try to locate the source of his voice, but I don't see anything. In that same instant, I see a faded figure of a person take form a few steps away from me.

"Ok, now you have earned the 'stalker of the year' award," I tell him bluntly.

"Ouch! Even pervs have feelings, you know?"

"Yeah, I'm counting on that," I throw a nearby loofah at him.

"You only do that 'cause you know I love you so much," he pouts. "Now, let's get ready. Tom's waiting with some cake."

As soon as he closes his mouth, the loofah on his hand floats back to me, and starts scrubbing me in a gentle way. A soap bar starts dancing around too, and I soon see myself immersed, almost drowning, in a huge sea of bubbles.

"Dougie..."

"Oops! My bad, Hazza," he tries to hold a laugh back.

The shower starts pouring water on me, and I can hear noises indicating the bath is being drained. A towel floats in my direction, and I see Dougie close his eyes saying _"I won't peek"_, but keeping an eye slightly open, anyway. Drying myself up and draping the towel around my lower body, I pull him closer by his waist.

"That's why you insisted on it so much? Just wanted to show off your skills?" I nuzzle his neck with my nose.

"Not _show off, _I just wanted to see how much of control I have"_, _he giggles at my touch, wrapping his arms around my neck.

"Right, _Poynter_. I know you better than that."

We stay like that, in each other's arms, for who knows how much long, before Tom calls us from downstairs.

"Could you two at least wait till I'm gone? Not even my _rabbits_ do _it_ that often," we hear his laughter shortly after.

I open my mouth to protest, but a finger silences me before I can utter a word, its owner speaking for me.

"Jealousy is a bad thing, Tommy. But don't worry, we'll try to contact Danny, and you can have some loving of your own." We high five, as Tom laughter abruptly stops.

"Ju– Just come down, you two!" He yells back, before going quiet.

Dougie kisses me quickly, to prove that's our victory. _Sorry, Tommy._

~#~

After eating Tom's cake and chugging some tea, we're sitting on the floor laughing and enjoying each other's company. I have both blond heads resting on my lap, one on each thigh, a thumb war ensuing around us.

"You two can't beat the resident warrior!" I bellow, savouring another victory.

"You're a sore winner, Harry. I'm not playing with you, any more," Tom says, lifting his head from my leg and sitting beside me.

"Call me 'Lord of War', now," I ruffle his hair.

"Kids," Dougie shakes his head.

Tom gives me a mischievous grin, signalising for a double attack on Dougie. We start tickling him until he has no strength left to laugh, only stopping 'cause we're all out of breath.

"Nobody would say we're supposed to be the saviours of this town and its people, seeing us like this," Tom wipes his face with his shirt.

"Yeah, if we're the only hope they got, they're pretty screwed," Dougie states.

"What reminds me... You two care to explain why you came back, when I told you to go somewhere safe?" I inquire them.

"Just remember we saved your _fit_ arse, ok?" Dougie says, poking me in the chest with his forefinger, to emphasise every word.

"I'm glad for that, but I just want to understand what happened," I say in a low tone, not wanting them to think I'm ungrateful for what they'd done.

"Easy, Dougs. Harry deserves a proper explanation," Tom says, before turning to face me. "From where should we start?"

~#~

"Tom, we're walking in the wrong direction! That's the way back to where Harry is!" Dougie tries to keep Tom from dragging him.

"I know that. That's why it's the right direction," the blond smiles, still holding his friend's hand. "We're going to save Harry! It may be too late, if we linger around here any longer."

"Are you saying you believe that thing can defeat him?"

"What I'm saying is that there's a _possibility_." He frowns. "You've seen for yourself its strength and speed."

"But what can we possibly do?"

That's when Tom slaps Dougie across the face, to make him snap out of his trance. "You're not even thinking straight, Dougs! Calm down!"

Rubbing his own face, Dougie takes a deep breath before talking again. "Sorry, mate. And thanks, I panicked a little."

"Any time you need," Tom assures him. "Now, for the plan I have."

Tom's plan sounds more like a fairy tale, or one of those comics he likes to read so much. It's something so crazy, that Dougie thinks it can actually work: they are going to use his new find technopathy to search information about their abilities inside the discs they're carrying, and 'upload' it directly into their brains.

"Tom... That's insane!" he lets his jaw hang in disbelief.

"I know. Usually you would be the one suggesting such a reckless plan," Tom chuckles.

"But I don't know if I can do it. I only used it two times and to do something rather simple."

"We don't have time for that! You want to save Harry, right?" To what the other blond nods. "I go first, so if you mess anything up, you can still try it on yourself."

Deep down inside, Tom knows how mental the situation is, but he doesn't care. Losing Harry and Dougie, as selfish as it may sounds, it's way _worse_ than losing all the lives in town. Because the pair are his world, his family. It's not that he doesn't care about anyone else, but he'll put his life at risk for those two at any time.

Dougie starts scanning his bag for discs, when he finds the one he needs, labelled with a black 'F'. He holds it between his palms, and closes his eyes, willing for his powers give him access to the data inside. Responding to his strong feelings, words start to form inside his mind, until he finds the desired info, "Fletcher, Thomas M.".

Extending one hand to Tom –which the other blond promptly accepts– and wishing for everything to work, Dougie holds Tom's head until a spark comes off, and the boy falls unconscious on his lap.

"Tom!" he continuously slaps his friend face, trying to bring him back to his senses. "Shit! Now I don't have to worry about him dying 'cause I just killed him!" He starts to tremble.

"Will you stop freaking out for a second? I thought that's _my_ job." Tom slowly rises, holding his head, feeling a pneumatic drill rampaging inside it.

"You're alive!"

"Don't squeeze me that much. I have a splitting headache," he growls. "Let me take care of it, first."

Dougie refrains from asking what that means, when the boy points a finger coated in a blue aura to his own forehead and letting an _"all better"_ escape his lips.

"What–"

"Your turn. I'll wake you as soon as you pass out, don't worry." Tom says to Dougie, passing him the disc labelled 'P'. "You'll be fine, just do the same thing again."

"_Do the same thing again"_. The words are still ringing in his ears, 'cause he has quite no idea what he has done. Noticing his friend is hesitating, Tom pats him in the shoulder and nods, giving his trademarked encouraging smile.

Repeating the same ritual, Dougie mutters the words _"give me strength to protect them"_, before losing his senses, diving into complete darkness. Not long, though, he sees a light shine far above, someone calling his name. He wakes on Tom arms, who's smiling at him.

"Ready?" Tom asks, already standing.

"More than ever before," he replies, looking at sparks coming out his fingers. He takes Tom's hand in his own, and in the same instant, they're back at the door of the room Harry is in.

~#~

"Are you telling me you two almost killed yourselves with a plan with 90% of chance of failure?" I cast an indignant look at the two in front of me. "Are you two stupid?"

"Sorry, Harry," Tom looks down at his lap.

"You don't need to put it _that _way," Dougie scratches his head, looking away.

"But you are my favourite kind of stupid, I guess," I fling myself at them, hugging both close. I don't even care about their protests among _"wanker"_, _"prick"_ and other _lovely_ names; our idiocy is the reason we are still alive.

"Get off, you twat of a boyfriend!" He shoves me away.

"Shh! Heard that?"

"What 'that', Tom?" I ask him.

"There's something here, I can feel a presence."

We stay silent, until we hear someone knocking lightly at the window. Only it's not a _someone_, it's a _bird_.

"Am I hearing things, or did this bird just _knock_?" Dougie raises an eyebrow.

"Not only it knocked, but it has a message for us. From Danny," Tom look at us with worried eyes.


	13. Wings of Words

_Disclaimer: If a miracle doesn't happen, it will all be the same till the final chapter._

_A/N: This chapter introduces my first OC (kinda)! Hooray! I must say I had so much fun writing this one. :)_

Chapter XIII

With Harry in the kitchen searching for something to feed their new guest, the other two boys find themselves talking to the bird sent by Danny. Since Tom's the only one who can understand what animals speak, Dougie has a hand on Tom's shoulder to use him as a medium.

"What's your name, little fella?" Tom asks, his finger gently caressing the bird's head.

"My name's Bruce, sir. Pleased to meet you," the bird chirped and bowed. "For your kindness and being able to understand me, I reckon you must be master Thomas, yes? Master Daniel speaks highly of you, sir."

Tom's face grows hotter feeling Dougie's gaze on him, smirking to their feathered visitor's statement.

"Err... right, I'm Tom. This one here is Dougie, and the one in the kitchen is Harry," he tries to keep it off his voice, but he feels something flutter around his stomach at the mention of Danny being fond of him.

"Oh, so they're your subordinates, Douglas and Harold, master Thomas?"

"What? You little shi–" a fuming Dougie is interrupted by Tom.

"No, Bruce! I mean, they're my friends. They don't work for me or anything."

"Ok, master Thomas," he chirped. "Should we get master Harold back? I need to speak to the three of you, sir."

"You can drop the formality with us, Bruce. 'Tom', 'Dougie' and 'Harry' are fine. No need to use the 'master', as well.

"You are indeed a blessed soul, sir. I can understand why you're a human that can comprehend what my kind says."

"I think you have another fan, Tommy," Dougie elbows Tom on his sides. "No wonder he's Danny's bird. _Like owner, like pet._"

Before Tom can argue back, the other blond yells for Harry get his _"hot body over here"_. It doesn't take long, and soon the brunet is back with two bowls, one with water and another with birdseed. Why does Harry have birdseed at home, is a question beyond Tom, too.

~#~

I still think it's a odd feeling, being able to understand what this bird is saying. Dougs has his hand on my thigh to retransmit Tom's translation to me. I must say the order was slightly different _"Dougie, put your hand on Harry's shoulder so he can join the conversation", _but it's Dougie we're talking about.

Bruce has proved to be quite a chatter and I can see some of Danny's traits in him. His personality is as bright as his feathers; a forest green body reaching spring green on his wings; baby blue hue around his eyes and a sole golden, feather atop his head, matching his eyes. Even though he chirps between sentences, the voice talking to us is husky, and doesn't really seem to belong to him.

"So, we're all here. What's the message you have for us, Bruce?" I ask him.

"Ah, yes, master Harry. Let me begin."

He explains to us that with the mission failure, Danny's bosses have decided on postponing the invasion, and it's going to be in a week from tomorrow. He also give us some information about his owner whereabouts, the last bit affecting Tom not in a positive way.

"Danny has been taken away? Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, master Tom. They came to our place, this afternoon, to take master to train again. But I don't think they have any intention on letting him return home," he says, his golden eyes mellowing a little. "Master thought about the only way to warn you, and sent me here. He knew master Tom is the only one who could understand me."

I suddenly feel like someone's choking the air out of me. Maybe Danny's not so bad as I thought? Here we have this adorable bird, talking about him like he's the most –and probably is– thing in the world for it. Seeing things this way makes me feel a little depressed.

"We have another week, eh? As good as it may sound, it also means whatever they intend to do is going to be _bigger,_" Dougie ponders.

"I'm more worried about Danny. Shouldn't we go after him?" Tom offers, eyes scanning mine for a response.

"I don't think it's a good idea. At least, not for now," I frown. "If only we could talk to him, somehow..."

"Hey, Brucy! You know where he is now?"

"Why yes, master Dougie."

"Cool, let's try reaching him, then."

Dougs motions for me to grab his shoulder, whilst he puts his now free hand on Bruce's head, telling him to visualise the place Danny is. Just as we all close our eyes, images of Bruce's thoughts start appearing like a movie in our minds, soon revealing a fortress-like building.

"Try speaking to him, Brucy."

"Master Daniel? It's me, Bruce," he says a little excited.

"_Bruce? My bird? Where are ya? And why can I hear you speaking?"_

"I'm with your friends, master. They wish to speak to you."

"Yo, Danny boy! Nice talking to you!"

"_I don't even need to ask you who is this, Dougie," _Danny lets a hearty laugh out.

"I knew you could recognize the best," he grins to himself. "Where are you now?"

"_At a training facility, to the north. But... how are you guy doing this?"_

Dougie quickly explains how they could make use of the information and expand their abilities. He also mentions he has Danny's files as well.

"_Thanks, mate. And I knew you could figure things by yourselves! You're brill!"_

"I'm only letting get away with this one 'cause you recognize how good I am, curly git."

Danny laughs again, before going silent for a few seconds. _"Are you alright? How's Harry? What about–"_

"Yeah, I'm fine. Harry's fine, too." But what you're really asking, is if Tom's safe, right? Why don't you speak to them?"

"Hi, Danny," I start, unsure of how to have this conversation, but I know Tom would want some more time to talk to him.

"_Harry? Is that you? Good to know you're in one piece!"_

"Oi! Who do you think you're talking to? I bet I can beat your lame arse next time!" I say, a little offended by his statement.

"_Easy, mate! No harm intended,"_ he laughs, making me laugh along with him. That's one bloody infectious laugh the lad has.

"Danny? I just want to thank you and say I'm sorry. I hope things can get better between us, in the near future."

"_Thanks, Harry. And I'm sorry, too. Let's put everything in the past and start anew, 'kay?"_

"Couldn't have said it better! Take care, mate." I smile to myself, before pinching Tom's arm.

Not really surprising anyone, Tom awkwardly tries to start a conversation with Danny, before Dougie cuts in, not wanting our friend to make a fool of himself more than he already has.

"You know what? I'll keep the connection up so you two can chat each other up, whilst me, Harry and Brucy go eat something. Don't worry, I won't eavesdrop." He stands up taking me with him, Bruce soon landing on his shoulder. "One more thing: **no** dirty talk."

~#~

Tom really doesn't know if he should thank or _strangle_ Dougie. Of course, he wants to talk to Danny, but things get a little awkward with the other people _–_mainly Dougie_–_ around. If the pervy blond keeps up his promise, at least he has a chance to speak in privacy.

"Hey again."

"_Hey, Tom! How are ya?"_

"I'm good," he pauses for a second, "I have to thank you for today. I feel like I can finally be of help to Dougs and Haz."

"_The merit is all yours. Good job cracking the riddle and everything. Wanna tell me more about it?"_

"Sure," Tom smiles, soon detailing everything they've done since the freckled boy left. He tells Danny about their brainstorming, the search, finding lost files, the monster that almost killed Harry and all other details. He feels relaxed by the end of his story, 'cause he finds it really easy to talk to the other boy, just the two of them.

"_That's great! See? You put yourself down, but you're truly amazing," _he hears Danny thick accent ring inside his head, making him fluster a little.

"Uh, thanks!" He smiles sheepishly, not totally comfortable with compliments. "But enough about me. Why are you there? They're not keeping you captive, are they?"

"_Not that it's been made too obvious. I'm really on training grounds, but currently on a break. Don't worry, there's no one around and I don't feel like I'm being watched."_

"Bruce delivered us your message. What do you think we should do?"

"_The best you can do is train until your bodies give in. Sure, that one day progress you have now is incredible, but there's always room for improvement," _Danny's now serious, his voice almost stern.

"I think so. Harry would have suggested it, anyway. I guess you two fighting _freaks_ are all the same."

"_Aww, don't say it like tha'!" _Tom could imagine Danny pouting _"I wish I could train you, though. But Dougs would be better suited for the task, since your powers are loosely related."_

"I guess you're right," Tom nods, forgetting Danny can't actually see him. "Won't you be needing your files, though?"

"_Nah. If they want me to train and improve, they will do something about it. You should be careful, though. More than likely they're sending another bot after you three. Don't expect this one to be easy to defeat as the one Harry fought before."_

"After that chimera we fought underground, I don't think things will get any _easier_."

"_Good, 'cause they won't."_

"Some encouragement. Cheers, mate!"

Danny bellows with laughter at Tom's hurt tone. _"You know that's not what I mean, you twat! Just don't get yourself killed, you still __**owe**__ me a date, remember?"_

"I– I know," Tom fails miserably to keep his voice steady.

"_That's good– What are you doing here?"_

"Danny, what happened?"

"_Stay away from me!"_

"Danny? DANNY!"

Tom can't speak nor listen to the boy, any more. Sensing the communication has been cut, Dougie flies into the room asking what's wrong. He soon sees a livid Tom hitting the floor with his fist clenched.

"Danny's in danger! We have to help him!"


	14. Against the Hands of Time

_Disclaimer: My fingers are typing on their own._

Chapter XIV

Me, Dougie and Bruce are in the kitchen chatting –or close to it, since we can't understand the birdie without Tom around– when Dougie sprints back to the room where Tom's screaming Danny's name. Bruce and I go back to the living room to find Dougs trying to calm my other friend, rubbing his back in circles.

"What's going on, Dougs?" I ask, kneeling by his side an putting my hand on Tom's shoulder.

"That's what I want to know! He says Danny's in danger and wants to go after him, but doesn't say things coherently!"

Sobering up a little at the mention of Danny's name, Tom starts to wriggle himself free from my and Dougie's grip.

"Let me go! He needs me!" he struggles with more force this time.

"Sorry for this, mate," I mutter, before hitting in the stomach with my open palm, knocking him unconscious.

"Why do you think everything can be solved with your strength?" Dougie sighs, placing a cushion under Tom's head, laying him back on the floor. Bruce's flying in circle over our heads, his chirping close to a child screaming.

"Calm down, you two. I didn't hit him hard. And he wasn't exactly telling us much, ok?" I try to reason with them. "Besides, he was too much stressed; a good rest will do him some good."

"Just remind me of _never_ letting you worry about my health," Dougie smirks.

~#~

The sky is already dark when Tom finally starts to regain consciousness. He slowly sits up and yawns, before turning to me, fingers tracing his own stomach.

"I thought you hit me, but I don't feel any pain," he casts me a dubious look.

"And I did, but I used energy –_chi, _if you may– instead of my fists. I read about it, but couldn't do it before," I explain to him. "Sorry for being rough with you, though."

"It's okay. I know I freaked out a tad," he smiles.

"You're awake! What about telling us what's going on?" Dougie descends the stairs with Bruce on his shoulder. They're now some sort of duo, and he seems to really like bird, I must say.

Tom starts his story about how the communication was cut and Danny's lasts words before finally he couldn't hear him any more. We all agree that something strange is going on, but our next step is not clearly decided.

"Master Tom, may I?" Bruce asks, receiving a nod as response. "Master Daniel wouldn't want you to risk your lives for him. He would feel devastated with guilty."

"Are you saying we should just abandon him, Brucy?"

"That's not what I mean, master Dougie. I'm only saying that you need a better plan than rushing into battlefield with just the will to fight."

"That awkward moment when a bird speaks more sense than a group of adult men," Dougie says with a completely straight face. "You're bloody brilliant, Brucy!"

"Want to know what I think?" I clear my throat, "I think we should train, hone our skills. It's already night, we're all tired, and above all they _can't_ kill Danny."

"Wise words, master Harry. Master's skills are too useful, for them to get rid of him that easily. However, they could be using him as bait."

They all fall silent hearing those words, but Tom decides to break the silence.

"Let's sleep. Tomorrow we'll have a long day of intensive training," he looks from Dougie to me, serious look etched on his face.

Deciding that's the best thing to do, Dougie takes Tom upstairs to sleep, as I'll be sleeping on the couch. I don't mind and I'm not going to let a visitor sleep anywhere but a bed. Bruce goes with them, since he seems to like Tom and Dougie very much.

"It's gonna be a long day," I exhale folding my arms under my head. "I'll ask Dougs for help 'cause I think the data we got from that bot will be useful." It doesn't take me long to fall asleep, anticipating the events of the next day.

~#~

The next morning we're all up early. Dougie wakes me with a peck on the lips, whilst the aroma of a royal breakfast assaults my nostrils. Obviously, Tom's cooking something delicious. _We should let him sleep here more often, _I smile to myself.

Discussing our plan over breakfast, we agree with training for two days and then rescuing Danny. Since we have a week, that gives us plenty of time to make a decent plan with his help. He may be a decisive factor in this war. Dougie's now explaining the basics of our abilities and the principles behind every one of them. He also has a list of what we should focus on, and what we could try later.

"Let's decide our partners, shall we?" He says pointing to all the three of us. "Harry, you stay with Brucy. Danny's relies on physical attacks, and you should partner up with him, but we don't have him around. Tom, you're stuck with me. We fall on the 'special attack' category."

"And if you assign a class for each of us, it will be as if we're playing RPG," I fold my arms over my chest.

"Not bad, Haz!" He looks me in the eyes, face lighting up. "You're the Warrior. Me and Tom are Black and White mages. Danny could be–"

"Dougs, I'm kidding!" I cover his mouth with my hand, making the other two chuckle.

"Danny suggested something like that..." Tom mumbles with a lost stare.

"See? He's not a genius like me, but at least you got a good boyfriend, Tommy. Let's get going!" Dougs already dragging Tom by the collar when I get their attention, before they disappear through the door.

"How am I supposed to understand Bruce without Tom's help?" I yell after him, a frown soon following.

"You won't, but that's fine. He's only going to help you on sharpening your senses," Dougie replies, reappearing with one hand on his waist. "Any more questions? No? Have ~fun~!"

I hate it when he does that. With no other choice, I'll go to the park train with my feathered partner. The boys are going to an abandoned factory we used where we used play. It's a good place and nobody really goes there. It's time to push our limits.

Talking to Bruce was a little weird at first, but at least he seems to understand me. We're using a code where he flaps his right wing for 'yes' and the left for 'no'. With our new code, we're now training all this presence stuff. How does Tom do that? Maybe I'm too _insensitive_ for this? _Not sure I can get this task done._

_~#~_

Tom and Dougie's training is going sensibly smoother than Harry's. Their abilities are all based or related to the ones they always had, so it's far more easier for them than it is for Harry, who's now treading on a completely new territory.

"Don't you think you should go assist Harry? He's more used to the physical side of things," Tom asks, both sitting on the floor leaning on each other's back.

"I know! That's one of the _very_ reasons why I love him."

"Oh, god! Can't you take your mind out the gutter for a second?" Tom rolls his eyes. "I'm being serious, here," he adds, blushing a bit at what's implied on his mate's comment.

"Be more specific next time," Dougie grins. "But no, he'll be fine. Don't forget he could knock you without his fists, yesterday."

"I guess you're right. Let's start again, from the beginning!"

Soon, they are back to their session of long range attacks. Being able to see the planet as a huge entity, Tom's now able to control the four major elements and events like freezing rain, tempests or earthquakes. Dougie's abilities turned out to be the biggest surprise of all: he's able to manipulate electricity at will. All his psychic capabilities are just product of improved synapses, since thoughts can be seen as a electrical signal. It also explains why he's now able to control electronics.

"Hey, Dougie," Tom starts, "do you think Danny's ok?"

"What are you talking about? The man was _made_ to survive! He won't go down easily!" Dougie clenches a victorious fist in front of his face. " And he made you a promise, right? I don't think he would want to let you down. Not _his_ Thomas."

That's the thing about Dougie; no matter how crazy he may be, he's always there for a friend. Sure, he's horsing around most of the time, teasing Harry and Tom, but he's genuinely good at heart. Just.. a little bit _mischievous_.

"Thanks, Dougs. Sometimes, I forget you can be awesome," he grins at his friend.

"For your sake, _Thomas_, I'll forget what you just said, unless you want to be fried to a crisp," he threats, sparks forming on his hand.

"Oh, yeah? I'll be taking my 'thanks' back, then!" Tom feigns an offended expression.

"It's on! Come, _Fletcher!_"

~#~

After training ourselves to exhaustion for two days in a row, we're ready to go rescue Danny. By now we're sure something bad happened to him, 'cause we can't contact him. Bruce's not going with us, 'cause things can get a bit ugly. We're acting a little before the sun rises, since going to a complete unknown place at night would give us a massive disadvantage.

"Let's review our plan: We'll have Tom and Harry searching for Danny and possible enemies, we'll go into building stealthily, grab Danny, and get the hell out of there."

Me and the others nod, acknowledging the strategy he's explaining. Putting our hands –and talon– together, we let a _"to victory"_ echoes through the room. Now the time to put our new skills to test and to bring a mate home with us. As a improvement, Dougs can now go back and forth at will, pinpointing precisely a safe location. He says it's _"the same principle behind transmission electron microscopy"_ or something, but I'm not bothering with the details.

Arriving at our destination, me and Tom start searching for people inside the building and where Danny could be. There's a lone presence distant from all others –the only one not seeping hostile feelings, as Tom assured me– we're pretty sure it's Danny.

The fortress, I decided, looks even bigger up close; it's a huge metallic building blending in with some mountains nearby, everything surrounded by snow. Almost instantaneously, Dougie takes us to where Danny is, and we soon see him with his back to us, training with some dumbbells, in a open place, large as an arena. He's near a bench among barbells ans other equipments.

"Are you kidding me? We were worried dead about him, and he's just getting pumped up in the gym?" Dougie frowns.

"Or maybe he just doesn't want to force his way out," Tom states, before pushing past Dougie.

"Let's just get out of here. Others may be coming soon, even though I don't sense anyone nearby," I say pulling him with me over to where Tom and Danny are.

"Danny, it's me! Come on, let's leave this place," he places a hand on the brunet shoulder, turning him around.

Tom's smile falls when he sees Danny's face. It looks like he hadn't slept for a week, dark bags under his eyes, contrasting against his platinum coloured, almost fading into white, irises. They no longer have that beautiful blue on them.

"Tom! Get away from him! Something is wrong!" I yell, making a swatting motion to him.

"What are you saying Harry? This is Danny he wouldn't do–"

To our terror, we see a bar piercing Tom's guts. He twitches his neck to look at the platinum, lifeless eyes, still coughing blood from his newly acquired wound.

"D-Danny... Why...?" he asks, getting hold of the boy's face with both hands.

Danny's face is still emotionless when we hear him mumbling _"death to all of you". _


	15. Tiger's Den

_Disclaimer: If I owned McFly, NLTR would be a slash movie._

_A/N: This one is back to some violence/action. I'm only warning 'cause it may be a trigger for some people. I'll be experimenting a little bit with this, so I hope you can put up with some eventual weirdness (pretty much what you've been doing since the very beginning)._

Chapter XV

Dougie sends Danny crashing into a wall with a movement of his hand, and I use the opportunity to catch Tom in my arms and take him to where Dougie is, in a split second. The wound looks awful and blood is gushing out. We need to act quickly to save him.

"Dougs, quickly, get rid of this bar!"

"But if I do, he'll lose even more blood!"

"Trust me and just do as I say! Hurry!"

The very moment he makes the metallic rod disappear, I'm compressing the hole it left with my hands, and seconds later the wound is closed.

"Whoa, I don't remember Tom teaching you that!" Dougie blinks in surprise.

"You really thought you two were the only ones training defensive moves?" I give him a brief smile. "But it's not as perfect as Tom's healing, I can only stop the bleeding and heal minor wounds and it tires me a little bit, too."

Leaving an unconscious Tom to Dougie's care, I have my eyes back to where Danny is. He really _is_ Danny –I couldn't mistake his presence– but I can't understand his actions. How can he almost kill Tom, when a few days ago he saved our lives? _It doesn't make sense._

"Danny, it's me, Harry," I try calling out to him. "Do you recognise me?"

He doesn't reply and just dust himself off, before staring at me with those pale eyes. I'm about to try once again, when he finally speaks something.

"Harry... Target confirmed."

At the end of his sentence, he charges at me with a barrage of punches and kicks. His speed and strength seem to have increased, and I don't even think he's fighting seriously, yet.

"Danny, snap out of it! What happened to you?"

Unfortunately looks like my voice can no longer reach him, 'cause he keeps coming with more elaborated combos, forcing me to make a decision. _If I don't fight back, it will never end. But if I do, his ability will make sure he kill us all!_

_~#~_

Dougie's trying desperately to wake Tom, who is still out from the wound –and presumably the shock of the experience– he received. He wants to help Harry, but there's no one else to take care of the unconscious blond, and after all, they're inside enemy grounds.

"Tommy, don't do this to me! It's time to wake up, boy! Harry needs our help!" he slaps Tom across the face, softly.

The other boy doesn't seem to acknowledge none of that, and keeps on sleeping. Thinking of the anything he can do, Dougie decides to use a little shock to wake his friend.

"I don't think you're gonna be too happy about it, but now is a matter of death or death!" He murmurs gathering a small fraction of electricity on his fingers and getting them close to Tom's chest.

"Oh, your little friend is not waking up? Such a pity, _non_?"

Slightly startled by the unknown voice, Dougie quickly locates the source of it, his eyes falling on a blond girl with long hair tied in a ponytail, red eyes and tanned skin, sitting on a branch of a nearby tree. She's wearing an uniform similar to his, the difference being the skirt reaching the middle of her thighs, and the sleeves of her top end in some sort of flower-like pattern around her wrists.

"Who are you?" Dougie stares at her with a indignant look.

"What's with that look, _mon pétit_?" She laughs.

As nothing in the world get to Dougie worse than being ignored, he discharges a lightning that soars a few inches from her ear, making her stop giggling on the spot.

"I won't miss the next time," he warns her. "Who. The. Hell. Are. You?"

"_Mon Dieu_, a little hot headed, aren't we?" Her face changing into a malicious smile.

"I just don't like to be kept in the dark. Curiosity is my strongest trait," Dougie smirks back, his aim still on the girl.

"I like you already. Maybe you can entrain me a bit, _oui_?" She jumps down from the tree and starts walking towards him and Tom.

"I wouldn't come any closer if I were you," he puts his fingers together as he's about to snap them. "It would be a pity have to burn that hair of yours."

"Why don't you try, _chérie_?"

Dougie doesn't think twice before discharging some energy on her direction, but this time, the lightning disappears a few inches from her face. His eyes grow wide, 'cause he couldn't miss a clean shot like that.

"How–"

"Aww, your sparks aren't working? Too bad!" She resumes her walking, getting closer to the boys.

~#~

I suddenly feel a strange presence where we are, and I see Dougie talking to a mysterious woman. I get a bad feeling about the situation, but Danny isn't letting me go to them easily. Seeing Dougs shot disappear before it could hit her, I try to buy some time for all of us.

"I don't know what's wrong, but I'm going to hurt you a little, Danny."

Boosting my own speed, I sit on his shoulders, locking his arms and head with my legs. Arching backwards, I use the momentum from my movement to throw him in a path that goes straight to the nameless girl.

"Dougie! Get back!" I yell, giving him time to get away with Tom. Danny soon hitting the girl like a cannonball amidst a cloud of black dust.

"Don't tell me you can now make people explode?" Dougie asks me, appearing by my side.

"I don't think I threw him that hard." I say to him. "Something is a little off here."

"You're telling me? I couldn't hit that weirdo, even though she was right in front of me!"

"I think it's better that we leave," I take his hand, squinted eyes searching around the place.

"And we can't do nothing about Danny, right now," Dougs sighs. "Tom gonna be devastated when he wakes up."

When we're ready to leave, a shadow emerges from the dust cloud, laughing.

"Now I understand why you're so rude to me, _pétit_." The same girl from before cackles, tossing her hair back, "There's not many people that can resist my charm."

"_Je suis desolé, chérie._ I'm already taken," Dougie mocks her, using the same broken French as the girl.

"Don't be. I already got my sights on a _particulier_ dark haired hunk," she winks at me.

"You better step back, slut! I won't let you have your way just 'cause you're a woman."

I squeeze Dougie hand lightly to remind him we still need to get out this place, and that he shouldn't fall for her taunt. Understanding what I mean by that gesture, he tries to teleport us, but nothing happens.

"Harry, it's not working," he says, "I can't move us."

"Seems like only now you get the situation you're in?", her words oozing venom. "You won't be escaping any time soon."

Then, Danny appears at her side, without a single scratch. Apart from his unusual pale appearance, he looks the same, no sign of his previous self whatsoever.

"What's your connection to Danny?" I inquire, now that's obvious she has something to do with his change.

"Hmm? You're talking about _Delta_?" She points to Danny. "I don't have anything to do with him. We're not what you could call friends, _collègue_, or any of that."

"Well, at least you're safe, since he's running around _impaling_ his mates," Dougie snorts.

"I like your sense of humour, _pétit_ Dougie, right?"

"It's 'Douglas' for you." He corrects her coldly. "I'll ask one more time: who are _you_?"

"Let's play a game: I'll tell you, if you can win against me." She licks her lips.

"Only if you promise me you're going to learn French properly, instead of just random words and expressions," He sniggers, passing Tom to me.

~#~

I try to plea with him, but he waves his hand dismissively, telling me that's _"personal". _Danny is still not moving, and now I have to watch after Tom, cause Dougie is engaged in combat with the weird girl.

His abilities may not be working, but Dougs' nowhere near defenceless. Sure, he can't beat me or Danny, but the same is not true for other people. The difference between their levels is overwhelming and soon she's panting hard, worn from fighting.

"Even If I'm not a gentleman, I held back cause you're a girl," Dougie states, walking in her direction. "This is your last chance. Who the hell are you?"

The blonde seems a little scared, but refuses to answer the question. Dougie makes a movement to grab her by the wrist, when the air feels somewhat heavy, eerie. Up there in the sky, a huge black rock appears takes form, before heading straight to Dougie.

"Dougie, look out!" I scream, going to his aid, only to be stopped by Danny's attack. With no time left to shrug him off and save Dougie, I watch as the huge stone crunch him with all its might. I want to scream, but for some reason my voice can't come out, not even a single muffled scream. Hopelessness and despair start to take over my body, when I can't feel his presence.

"I do not know why I always have to clean after you. It is your bad attitude that brings misfortune upon yourself, Ophelia," says a little figure coming from behind the girl, motioning for Danny to go over to where they are.

I don't know who this kid is, but the only thing I'm sure of, is that I don't like him. Not only cause he's probably the one who attacked Dougie, but he doesn't have the faintest trace of a _human_ presence. Noticing I'm watching him, he bows, introducing himself.

"Good morning, Mister. I am so sorry for her condemnable behaviour," he says in a children's voice. "I am Aldwin, good to meet you."


	16. Envoy of the Beginning

_Disclaimer: My fingers are **still** typing on their own._

_A/N: Sometimes I feel a little lost to what should come next, so I may be planning to end this story sooner than I expected._

Chapter XVI

He looks like a kid on the outside, but my guts tell me there's something odd about him. For some reason, I have this strange feeling I know him from somewhere, even if it's the first time we meet. The awfully familiar kid stares at me, his scarlet eyes gleaming under a fringe of snow white hair. My mouth hangs slightly open 'cause there's no white in his eyes: his scleras are onyx black, contrasting greatly with his red irises. Nonetheless, I decide to play along with him; he seems more talkative than his partner.

"Nice to meet you, Aldwin. I'm Harold," I nod back. "Are you, by any chance, responsible for that rock over there?"

"Yes, it is my job to help this brat," he says, pinching the other girl by her left ear.

"Ouch! That hurts, Alpha!" She whines. "Let me go!"

"Sorry in advance, but I think I'll have to hurt you a little, then," I ball my hands into fists.

Suddenly, hearing a loud cracking noise, we all have our attentions back to the massive rock. It starts cracking louder and louder, before shattering in a million shards of ice.

"Next time you try to save, do it soon, moron," Dougie crawls out of a hole on earth. Large enough for him to fit in and avoid being crushed. "I couldn't breathe properly!"

"Heh, I'm glad I could make it in time," Tom pants, still holding the area of his now closed wound.

I feel my heart being washed with relief, knowing everyone is safe. Unfortunately, it's too soon to celebrate, 'cause now we've three enemies to fight. Coming over to where Tom's sitting, I kneel beside him, giving a hand in support.

"Thought I was done for," he gives a small laugh, wincing a bit.

"You better heal yourself properly. It's no better than some rubbish first aid, but I'm glad I could help," I point to the whole on his uniform.

"You did wonderful, mate. I really owe you one," a blue light hue coming off his his hands.

As I help Tom back to his feet, Dougie walks over to us still keeping his eyes on the trio afar.

"Somebody tell me this is a nightmare," he exhales. "Now we have to fight a psycho Danny, a bragging slut and a goth kid? That's bullocks!"

Breaking eye contact with me, Tom take his time to look around the place, his sight falling over the little boy, who is now back to lecturing the woman with him, and a statue rigid Danny. He takes in a sharp breath, but soon I realise his gaze is lingering over the mysterious boy, not Danny.

"Aldwin?" Tom calls, almost like a whisper.

Hearing his name, the kid stops his actions to look back at Tom, a smile menacing to split his face in two.

"Bolton!" The boy replies excitedly.

"Do you know him, Tom?" I ask looking from the boy to my friend. "And why is he calling you 'Bolton'?"

Tom grasps his head falling to his knees, face scrunched up in pain. We hold him, asking what's wrong, but he's in too much pain to answer.

"Oi! What are doing to him?" Dougie shouts, casting a threatening look to Aldwin. "And who the hell is Bolton?"

Aldwin's smile falters and he is now glaring at Dougie, making my friend shift a tad uncomfortable, being the centre of attention, right now. Dougs' eyes widen considerably, and he turns to me face me over Tom's head.

"Harry... Why do I have the feeling I know this kid, if this is the first time we meet?"

"Shit, you too? I got the same impression, but I'm not sure, either. It's li–"

We are interrupted by a female voice clearing her throat. "Are you going to spend all day talking? _Allô_, your _enemmi_ is here?"

"How many times do I have to say it is not polite to interrupt someone's else conversation, Ophelia?" The white haired boy reprimands her with a stern voice. It's almost like they're father and daughter, despite his childish appearance.

"Sorry, Alpha," she looks at her feet, lowering her voice.

"Aldwin," I slowly get up, "what's your relation to Tom and Danny? Who are you?"

"I should not be sharing this information with you, but I reckon it is the cordial thing to do," he says, motioning for Danny and the girl to sit down, as well as me. "I will try to keep it brief."

~#~

Since the beginning of times, man has tried to make life easier and more enjoyable through technology. After some thousand years of progress, pretty much everything is possible to be attained, but no matter how much time pass, humans are still imperfect. But what if there's a way to improve their inherent capabilities? What if, there's a possibility of perfecting people? Wouldn't that lead to a better world? That was the very motivation behind the Polaris project.

The research team working on Polaris, were a group of the most renowned scientists responsible for the creation of perfect people to lead the world to a new era. At first, the project turned out to be quite impossible, but not many years after its beginning, they finally could successfully create life in a lab. This time it wasn't a simple case of cloning or _in vitro_ fertilization, it's a life with potential surpassing any other that ever existed.

The result wasn't too pleasing, and considering their experiment almost a complete failure, they decided to lock the subject Alpha away for an undetermined period. Surely, they could –and would– use it as base to the next experiments, but at that moment, they felt like a different approach to do things was needed. This time, three more attempts were necessary till they got their much needed result. The subject Delta, was a complete success; they figured out it would be easier to try something more closely resembling human reproduction. Having large hopes for this one, they moved back to find some way to make Alpha useful.

Deciding to turn back to basics, Alpha was cloned, and two more individuals were created: Beta and Omega. Beta was the completely opposite of Alpha, like shadow and light, both sides of the same coin. Omega, on the other hand, turned out to be a slightly precarious copy of Alpha, being named after the last letter of greek alphabet as a reminder of the end of that kind of research.

Not much longer after, the Project was done with all the research and the method used to create Delta was established as standard to generate all the following subjects. Soon they had to create a place apart from the average humans, keeping it a secret from their subjects as well as the general public. Alpha and Omega were again locked away, while Beta and Delta were inserted in the newly created community.

Fearing a possible insurrection, the scientists decided to keep Beta and Delta separated, erasing any previous memory they could have of each other, even going as far as locating them to different zones in the secret island, and asserting a new name to Beta. Their paths would no longer cross –it was decided– and things were to remain this way for _ad infinitum_.

Things stayed this way until the project and its subjects were considered a threat to humanity and should be disposed of. That's when they agreed to exterminate all of them, starting with Beta and his friends, notably the most successful experiments and the only ones who could possibly be a hindrance to their plans.

~#~

We all stay in silence for a moment, before I can find me voice again, but Dougie beats me to it.

"Are you saying Tommy here is your clone, and he and Danny indeed know each other?"

"I am sure you were listening, so yes, that would be correct," Aldwin replies calmly. "Somehow, we are all connected. I am not sure how or why Bolton could remember me, but he is nothing more than a mere copy of me."

Something snaps inside me and I hit the ground with a power packed punch.

"Don't you ever say Tom's 'just a copy'," I hiss between gritted teeth. "He's our friend and his life belongs only to himself!"

"You may say that, Harold, but truth is, none of the six lives here belong to any of us," the boy's using a sombre tone now.

"Harry... don't," I hear Tom breathe in Dougie's arms. "We need to get out of here, and take Danny as well."

"After the story I just told you, do you really think we are even human, to begin with, Harold? We are nothing but guinea pigs in their hands!" his voice raises drastically, differing from the soft-spoken boy from moments ago. "We were created for their convenience and are now being persecuted because they are too scared of us!"

I'm silent again, feeling his words scratch at my skin 'cause there's some truth to it. I'm standing again when Tom rises to his feet, trying to regain his balance, Dougie watching us with worry.

"Aldwin... I know how you're feeling, but still this is no reason to go along with this murderous plan!"

"You better lower you _voix_ whenever you're talking to Alpha!" The blonde shouts at Tom.

"What could you know about me, Bolton?" his expression is now one of despair, his red eyes shining with flames of hatred. "You are not the one who got locked away. You are not the one who was told _"__**it's**__ a failure" _to your face. You are not the one created from negative emotions!"

As he spoke the last words, another huge rock materialises over his head, flying our way. Making quick work of my feet, I shield Tom and Dougs and split the stone with a hand chop. Dougie's still a little scared since he still can't use his abilities.

"W-What do you mean by 'created from negative emotions'?" Dougs stutters.

"In case you have not noticed, I am "Destruction", Ophelia is "Envy", and Bolton is "Compassion". Daniel is a bit different from us, since "Survival" is a instinct and more closely related to animals."

Tom closes his eyes and inhales deeply, letting a sigh escape his lips. "I know you suffered so much in the past, but it's not how or why you were born, that should shape your destiny or character. If you met Danny earlier, you should be aware of that."

The red-eyed kid lets a bitter laugh out, making everyone flinch, except for Danny. He cocks his head to the side, eyeing each and every one of us.

"What you could possibly know about pain or destiny, when you have been playing happy family all this time?" He glares for a second time. "But do not worry, it is all about to change in five days," he smirks.

"There's just one thing I don't understand," I say, abandoning my fighting instance. "If you're so resentful of everything you've endured, why are you sticking to their plan to eliminate us all?"

Aldwin just shakes his head and shrugs. "I do not think it is the right time for us to speak about this. Just keep it in my mind that we are _letting_ you live, for now."

At his words, some sort of shadowy hole appears behind him and his group, slowly swallowing them.

"Let's meet here again in five days. That is when will lay our cards down. Unfortunately, for you, it shall be your last day alive, as well," he announces with a cold voice, only his red eyes shining from inside the shadows.

"_Au revoir_, hunky brunet," the blond girl waves in my direction, making Dougie appear by my side flashing her the middle finger.

"Danny, wait!" Tom calls out, but earns no response from the freckled boy. Danny is soon engulfed by shadows, vanishing from our sight.


	17. Lost Identity

_Disclaimer: My fingers are typing on their own (again)._

_A/N: Welcome, __**ideasfromthebraintoscreen**__! :D I'm glad to know more people are reading it!_

_I've been listening to 'So Cold (feat. Nikisha Reyes-Pile)' by Ben Cocks for a while, now. If you know the song, you can imagine how this chapter goes. Enjoy!_

Chapter XVII

With Aldwin's gang gone, I decide it's best that we flee before more people come, sensing now a big number of presences heading our way. I throw a mute Tom over my shoulder, securing the blond by his waist, whilst taking hold of Dougie's hand with my free one. Before I can start moving, Dougs signs to me that he wants to try to move us again, this time successfully taking us home.

"One of those two must have sealed my abilities," he says. "It's too much of a coincidence that it started working after they vanished, and I'm _not_ even a guy who believes in coincidences."

"I got the same feeling," I nod. "Worse yet, we don't know what's the extent of what they can do." I say, putting Tom on the couch.

We look back to Tom, but it doesn't feel like he even acknowledges our presence in the room. Bruce comes in flying, but everything he says turns out to be only a chirping. That's when I realise that something is _really_ wrong with Tom. Trying to make him snap out of his trance, I shook him by the shoulder.

"Tom, mate! What's wrong? Can you hear me?" I feel my words weighted down with worry.

"Step back, Haz," Dougie warns me, before sending a little amount of electricity into Tom's body. A bright flash fills the room, blinding us all for a second. Tom gets up surrounded by a light blue halo.

"Am I an abomination?" he asks in a hoarse voice, speaking for the first time.

"What are you saying, Tommy?" Dougs tries to get closer to him, but there's some sort of wind barrier between us and our friend.

"What are you doing, Tom? Stop it, please," I plea, slowly getting closer to him.

"You two heard me! Am I an abomination?" He screams this time, a mighty gust sending us three flying. I collide with the bookcase; Dougie hits a wall on the opposite direction, and Bruce manages to stay airborne with some effort, dodging some flying objects.

"Tom, you're not thinking things through," I rise from under the huge pile of Dougie's books. "You're our friend, why would we think you're a monster?"

"You all heard him, I'm his clone! Tell me looking me in the eye, that you didn't feel something weird emanating from him or you haven't thought he wasn't human!" He yells desperately, tears forming in his eyes.

I feel a ping of guilt on my stomach, 'cause it's exactly what I thought when I first saw Aldwin. "_He doesn't have the faintest trace of a human presence"._ Even so, Tom's _not_ the same as him, I know that much.

"Ugh, my head!" Dougie get up, his fringe dyed crimson from a cut on his forehead. "What the fuck are you saying, Tommy? Have you lost it? You're the same as before, that won't change."

Tom cannot hold the tears any longer, going as far as biting his bottom lip until he actually draws blood from it.

"How can you say that, Dougs? Look at this place! Look at your head!" He starts laughing nervously, a mocking laugh filled with despair. "I can't even call you friends any more, not after I just hurt you."

"Tom, don't do anything reckless," I try to approach him slowly, but the barrier he put up isn't going down.

"Maybe it's too late for me, I guess," He smiles and shrugs, tears still falling down. "But I'll treasure all the moments I spent with two. Remember I'll always love you, Dougs and Haz."

"_Tummy_, what are you saying? Whatever you're thinking of doing, don't!" Dougie begs, still holding his wound.

"Sorry you had to witness all this mess, Bruce. I'm also sorry I couldn't bring your owner back," he brings his eyes up to the bird flying over us, a bright light slowly swallowing him. "This is where we part ways, guys. Thanks for everything, for being the family I needed."

Not wanting to let him go through with his plan, I start hitting his barrier with all my strength to no avail. Dougie soon joins me, but nothing seems to work. Even Bruce is trying to get through to Tom, but the boy is fading fast inside the light behind him.

"This, will be my parting gift," Tom smiles for a last time, before the light temporarily rob us of our vision, his form disappearing as the brightness dies down.

~#~

I'm still rubbing my eyes to get them used to the light again, when I hear a familiar husky voice speak.

"Master Tom... why?"

"Bruce? Is that you?" I ask as I open my eyes.

"Yes, master Harry. Seems like we're able to communicate again, sir." The bird replies.

Scanning around the room, we find that Tom's not there. I turn my head to Dougie on the ground, rubbing his eyes in the same fashion as me, but I notice the cut on his forehead is now closed.

"Is it your work, Harry?" He asks, tracing his temple for any trace of blood.

"I'm sure it's Tom's doing," I shake my head. "We can understand Bruce, as well."

"Are you okay, Master Dougie?" He asks, landing on Dougs' left shoulder.

"Brucy, hey! Nice being able to talk to you again," he pets the feathered buddy's head. "But what about Tom? Where is he?"

I immediately avert my gaze 'cause no matter _what_ happened, the truth is that Tom's _gone_. Dougie seems to catch this and I feel his hand on mine, squeezing it tightly. Taking a deep breath, I turn my head back to look at him, his eyes glassy against the light coming from the window.

"You don't think he's..." he trails off.

"Don't even say that!" I hush him. "Of course not," I pull him into a hug, feeling tears of my own prickling my eyes like needles. I fight them all back as I run my hand through his hair, making soothing noises. Right now, I need to be strong for him, and I won't rest until we get Tom back.

"I don't want to sound rude or disrespectful, but I would like to know what happened this morning," Bruce says in a low voice. Dougie pushes himself off me, before flashing a little smile and muttering a _"sure"_.

~#~

Leaving Dougie and Bruce to talk, I go the bathroom in need of a cold shower. What a hell of a week! We all had near death experiences and now we're losing friends, one after another. Tom's not with us, Danny wants to kill us –again– and we still have to find a way to save everyone in this God forsaken island. I honestly don't know much longer I can take it.

"After lunch I'll go search for Tom. I'll start with the places he likes to go," I mumble to myself, letting the water cascade down my shoulder blades. Soon I'm finished and I proceed to dry my hair with a towel, when I hear Dougie talk to me.

_"Hazza, are you done yet? I need you downstairs."_

"Using telepathy instead of just barging into the bathroom? Who are you and what have you done to my Dougie?"

"_Ha. Ha. I'm rolling on the floor with laughter," _he replies sarcastically. _"Just come down, or I'll go __**fetch**__ you."_

"Ok, _boss_. I'm going!" I chuckle, before clothing myself again.

As I descend the stairs I see him caressing Bruce and before I can stop myself, I blurt out the words of my own demise. "Why do I get the impression you like him better?"

"Aww, is that jealousy I'm detecting, Harry?" His devilish grin from ear to ear. "You don't need to be jealous of a bird, you know."

"Shut Up, Dougie," I shove his shoulder lightly, sitting beside him on the couch. "What is it you two want to talk about?"

"Master Harry, I beg that you take me along to your next fight against master Daniel," Bruce states, startling a bit 'cause I forgot we can understand him, again.

"What can you possibly do, birdie?" I ask. "Not only he didn't even recognize Tom, but he impaled our friend, as well."

"Still, I need to do something for my master! I can't leave everything in your hands," he flaps his wings furiously, as to emphasise his point.

"Alright, but if things get too rough, I want you to flee, ok?"

"Yes! Thank you, master Harry!"

"Let's eat something. I'm starving!" I feel my arm being pulled on, and next thing I know, Dougie is dragging me into the kitchen.

~#~

I've been searching for Tom for an hour, now. Dougie and Bruce are waiting for him at our flat, whilst I think of all places where he would possibly go. He's not at his home –a little too obvious, I know– and it doesn't look like he'll be returning any time soon. Defeated, I slump myself on a bench in the park, looking at some ducks playing in the lake.

"Fuck!" I let all my frustration out with a loud curse. "What are you thinking, Tom? I thought we're meant to be in this together! You said do yourself!"

I dip my head in my hands inhaling sharply, before leaning back against the bench. I can't sense him anywhere and I'm out of ideas of where he could be. Racking my brain for any idea, I am flooded with many memories from our childhood: how Dougie use to tease Tom –not that changed after all these years–; how he saved Dougie's life when a snake bit him; how he tried to teach us how to cook and we almost ended up setting his house on fire. Memories that I can't and won't let go of.

As I feel my confidence returning to me, I get up looking directly at the sun bright in the sky. "You're not going to get rid of us so easily, Tom." I smile for no particular reason, shielding my eyes from the light. _We're a team, and I'll save you like you've saved me many times before. I'm not giving up on our friendship!_

I start to walk around the lake, when a memory springs in my head, making my heart race faster. With no time left to waste, I quickly step from my original location in the park, to a huge cave in the woods, a few miles away. Sensing a faint presence resting inside, I run into the deepest part of it, launching myself at the person sitting in the dark, pinning them firmly to the ground with my knees.

"You won't run on me twice," I say, lighting a makeshift torch with my energy. "Not until you tell me exactly what's happening, Tom."


	18. A Fated Meeting

_Disclaimer: I have no idea what I'm doing._

_A/N: I swear, I'm not being mean to Tom or you all (ok, maybe a tad bit)! Hahaha! _

_**Danny's Stargirl, **__make yourself comfortable! Things are a little chaotic around here, but I hope you enjoy your stay. :D _

_All I can say is that I really had fun writing this one. *giggles* Thanks for the feedback girls and boys!_

Chapter XVIII

"You better not try anything funny," I warn him. "I won't refrain from using force to have you hear me out."

"H-How did you know I would be here?"

"At first, I didn't. But after reliving some of our memories, I thought it would be worth a try," I grin.

"I don't think Dougie's going to be too pleased to know you've been sitting on my chest," he states bluntly, but I can hear a hint of laugh in his speech.

"Nah. Knowing him, he would probably make a perv joke about partner swapping or something," I shrug.

"Gross!" I see him wrinkle his nose.

"Yeah, I know," we both start laughing, the sound bouncing off the walls around us.

"We all miss you, mate," I ruffle his hair. "Now, why don't you tell me what's really happening?"

This time he doesn't speak and I can feel him flinch under my weight. He makes motion to cover his face with his hands, but I keep his arms steady in place, depriving him of any free movement. My eyes are slowly adjusting to the new luminosity inside the cave, and when I bring the torch close enough to see my mate's face, I almost drop it.

"Tom... Your eyes!" My voice sounds almost like a whisper. The eyes staring back at me are nowhere near the chocolate colour I was expecting. Instead, I see blue eyes like Dougie's or Danny's. They're glassy with unshed tears, reflecting the orange from the flames.

"Harry, don't!" I hear him scream, before a stream of water puts out the fire. "I don't want anyone to see me like this."

Using my energy to light up my fist, I stare at him with a frown. "I doubt you can do something about this one," a smirk following right after.

Tom just rolls his eyes and sighs, shaking his head until his fringe cover his eyes. I don't know exactly why I haven't noticed before, but his golden locks are nearly all gone: his hair is now almost completely jet black.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn, Haz?" He casts his eyes to the ceiling.

"Dougie often says the same thing. I wonder if there's some of truth to it," I give him a cheeky smile. "But more important, I want to know how you're feeling and why you came _here_ of all places."

~#~

It was a rainy day, like it had been for a week. The sky lost his deep blue, and instead had been wearing a very dark shade of grey. Deep inside the woods, two boys are running between trees and fooling around, despite the downpour drenching their tiny bodies. The blond, smaller boy, kept screaming and tried to escape from the brunet that had chased him for an hour or so.

"Harry?" The boy asked tentatively, as he no longer saw his pursuer after him.

Suddenly, he heard noises of rustling leaves, a growl came from a bush behind him, and _something_ heavy tackled him to the ground, pinning him to the muddy ground with incredible speed. The small boy who had his eyes closed all time, dared to peek at _whatever_ was on top of him, buffing on his face and shielding him from the heavy droplets. He cracked an eye open and saw a pair of blue orbs staring at him, piercing through his very soul.

"You're a meanie, Harry!" The little boy huffed and pouted under the other boy's weight. "You don't get to use your abilities!"

The brunet laughed with such vigour, that his whole body shook. He quickly recomposed himself before he could speak to his friend.

"Don't be a crybaby, Dougie!" Harry retorted. "It's funny to scare you. I bet you peed your trousers!"

"I did not!" Dougie pouted once more.

"Yes, you did!"

"I did not!"

"Yes, you did, one hundred times!"

"I did not, infinite times!"

"You cheater! You know infinite is the biggest!"

"I'm no cheater, I'm smart!" Dougie smiled triumphant. "Get off, now!"

Harry just shook his head and made no attempt to move. "No! You say you're sorry!"

"Get off! You know I won!"

"No!"

Tired of having his back immersed in mud, Dougie leaned his head forward and placed his lips on Harry's very quickly. The brunet, taken aback, scrambled to his feet and wiped his lips with the back of his hand.

"Eww! What that for?" He looked to the spot on the ground where Dougie previously was, only to find the blond was running inside a huge cave nearby.

"You can't catch me, _Hairy_!" He smiled as he entered the cave.

"I hate it when you call me that!" Harry shouted and rapidly chased his friend inside the dark place.

He immediately regretted his decision, 'cause he couldn't see a thing in front of him. He stopped running and walked the path along the walls, in a attempt to make his navigation somewhat easier.

"Dumb Dougie! You sleep alone tonight!" Harry yelled. His voice echoed and he felt a little scared, but he had to find Dougie. Sometimes it didn't really look like the blond is two years older than him. Not that really mattered since they're both kids.

A scream was heard from deep inside the cave, and Harry ran stumbling and hurting himself, but soon he arrived at where he could hear Dougie crying. He felt his way until he was close enough to the source of a quiet sobbing and carried the boy on his back.

"What's wrong, Dougs?"

"A snake bit me," he sniffled, his arms cold against Harry's neck. "I'm dying, Harry."

"You dummy! We need a doctor!"

The younger boy hushed his way out of the cave with impressive ease. When he finally reached light, he was faced with a blond, chubby boy holding an umbrella with mouse ears. The stranger said nothing and only pointed to the boy slumped on the brunet's back.

"He's sick," he said matter-of-factly. "I'll help him," he approached the two boys, to what Harry responded with a step back.

"You're not a doctor!" He shouted defiant, but the boy ignored him, picked some leaves from bushes and knotted them all together.

"Use this," he offered Harry the leaves.

He hesitated at first, but Dougie whined low on his back and he decided to take the stranger's offering. He quickly compressed the sachet to his friend's ankle, where two deep parallel holes could be seen breaking the skin. Harry noticed the rain stopped to pelt him, when he saw the stranger holding the umbrella over he and Dougie instead of himself.

"Hold this," the chubby boy handed Harry his mousey umbrella. He took some bandage from his pocket and wrapped it neatly around the other blond's ankle. "That should do," he smiled content to himself and then to Harry.

"Thanks," Harry muttered. "He's annoying but he's my only friend," he extended his hand to the amicable stranger.

"That's ok. At least you have friends," the boy said and shook hands with the brunet.

"I can be you friend," Harry now shook their hands with more force. "If you tell me your name, I mean."

"I'm Thomas. Thomas Fletcher," the boy beamed. "But you can call me Tom."

"Harold Judd and Douglas Poynter" he let go of Tom's hand and pointed his thumb to his back. "Call us Harry and Dougie."

~#~

One hour later and tom still won't talk to me. I'm getting a little impatient 'cause not even the memories from when we first met can move him enough to talk. No matter what, he's going to tell me what I want to know, and he's coming back with me.

"Come on, mate! You always told me communication is the key," I pinch his nose.

"Sometimes, people just don't want to talk, you know" he rubs his nose, rolling his eyes, again.

"But I can't help, if you don't talk to me," my voice raises a tone. "Why would you run from us? All that talk about loving us is bullshit?"

"Don't," he grits his teeth, "ever say that I don't care about you two!"

"What is it, then, Tom? Tell me! What are you so scared of?"

"Please, Harry–"

I repeatedly slap him in the face, teasing until he can take no more.

"I'M A MONSTER BUT I DON'T WANT TO HURT OR KILL ANY OF YOU!" He pants hard after shouting at top of his lungs, his blue eyes never leaving mine, wide in realization of his own statement. Anger fills me instantaneously and I deliver a punch square on his right cheek, much to his and my surprise.

"You idiot! That's what you've been thinking? That you will turn into something like _him_?" I ask, looking at a terrified looking Tom. "I don't care if you're _his_ clone, if you're from Mars, or if you have 15 nipples: you're still the same!"

I place my hand on his cheek, healing the bruise. We both have tears on ours eyes, neither wanting to let them fall freely.

"Don't you realise that you fear of hurting us one day, _already_ hurt us 'cause you're pushing us away? How do you think Dougie's feeling? What about me and Danny, Tom?"

"Harry–"

"No, you let me finish this," I cut him in his speech. "I quote you when I say the words _"it's not how or why you were born that should shape your destiny or character"_. What do you say about that?"

Tom remains silent for a few seconds before raising his eye to me, again. I'm almost sure that I could see his eyes flash back to their original colour, but the blue is back before I can analyse them any longer.

"Maybe you're right, you know?" He smiles. "But there are some things I should –and need to– do on my own."

The instant he closes his mouth, hundreds of giant bats come flying in my direction, their flapping wings throwing me off balance enough for Tom to be swallowed by the ground. I try crabbing hold of his top, but he disappears fast, sinking deep in the earth, no trace of a presence. All I can hear is an _"I'm sorry, Harry"_ echoing inside the cavern.


	19. Of Mind, Body & Soul

_Disclaimer: I still don't own them? Darn, I'm getting impatient here!_

_A/N: I'd like to dedicate this one to __**Danny's Stargirl **(__thanks for some cute Pones and a good laugh) and __**ideasfromthebraintoscreen **__(thanks for the compliment, really made my day)! :D_

_And nope, this isn't the final chapter . But we're getting closer, though! :)_

Chapter XIX

I step outside the cave, sharpening my senses to catch any trace of Tom's presence. Unfortunately, all I can sense are little animals around, and not a single person within my perception range. I reckon he beat me good, and for the second time today, he escapes through my fingers.

"I don't know what you're thinking, but I'm sure our paths will cross, Tom."

I look up to the sky to see heavy, dark clouds hovering over me, just like _that_ day. I'd say it's an odd coincidence, but like Dougie always says, _"there's no such thing in this world"_. I take my time walking leisurely back home, letting the rain soak me, trying to wash me clean of the fatigue and hopelessness from today.

~#~

Dougie is still pacing back and forth in their living room, whilst Bruce tries to calm him down, but failing miserably.

"Master Dougie, please, sit down for a minute," he tries for the 37th time.

"How can I stay still, _Brucy_?" He stops for a brief moment, looking at the bird. "Danny's brainwashed, Tom's _crazy-slash-missing-slash-insane_, and Harry still out there in this storm and won't contact us at all!"

Bruce is ready to protest against the boy's actions, but the blond is already resuming his frenzy pacing. Seeing as he has no other option left, the bird flies closer to the Dougie, landing on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry in advance, master Dougie," his feathered buddy whispers, but he's too much lost in thoughts to hear it.

Bruce's beak starts glowing blue, revealing two blueish viper-like fangs, which he sinks in Dougie's neck.

"What the–"

He has no chance to respond as the poison is already coursing through his veins, numbing his body, making it meet the floor with a loud thud.

"_Bru... cy..."_ are the last words leaving his lips, until he dives into a world of complete darkness, a cold breeze sweeping over his body, his all being taken into oblivion.

~#~

"Dougs, I'm home!" I call him from the entrance, but no answer comes.

Finding it strange not to have him pouncing on me out of nowhere, I make my way to the living room only to find his body completely void of movement, including breathing, on the floor. I throw myself at kneeling position by his side, taking him in my arms.

"Dougie! Dougie, what's wrong?" I shake him, but still no response. He's stone cold and I don't feel his presence either.

"He's under effect of the poison," I hear Bruce's voice coming from the other side of the room.

"Poison? What poison?" My voice etched in panic. "How can you say that so calmly?"

"Because it's me who bit him, master Harry."

"You what? You killed Dougie!"

"Calm down, sir. It may look like it, but he's just in a 'suspended' mode." He shakes his head. "It's my ability, actually."

Bruce flies over to us, and his beak glows red revealing tiny fangs. As soon as he bites my friend's neck, I feel his body in my arms jolt back to life.

"See? I'm master Daniel's for a reason, master Harry," he starts chirping a happy bird melody.

"Yeah, the creepiness does resemble him," I frown.

"Where am I?" Dougie take his hand to the bite mark on his neck.

"You're at home, with me," I kiss his temple.

"Harry!" He laces his arms around my neck, almost choking the air out of me. Now I know he's safe and sound.

"Thanks, Bruce. For not letting him go crazy while I was away, I mean. Not the bite, though," I smile at the little bird.

"I'm glad to help, master Harry," he chirps again.

"I don't know exactly what happened here, but I don't like the smirk on your faces," Dougs says, pointing to me and Bruce.

I shake my head like a dog, spraying both with water, getting up to change into dry clothes. I'm almost at the top of the stairs, when I hear a voice calls after me.

"Did you find Tom, Haz?" I feel my heart sink a bit. Sooner or later we'll have to have this talk, so we might as well get over it.

"Give me a few minutes and I'll tell what happened. I don't want to catch a cold," I say in the most convincing voice I can muster, making my way to the bathroom.

~#~

"So, Tom is now on the run, his appearance mirroring Alladin's, and he scared he might kill us?" Dougie raises an eyebrow.

"Pretty much it," I nod. "And it's 'Aldwin', not 'Alladin', Dougie."

"Whatever," he waves his hands dismissively. "I don't like him, anyway."

"Master Daniel and master Tom are gone? I can't believe it..." Bruce looks really down.

"But we can't give up! I'm sure we can still do something about it!" I try to lift their spirits. "We'll stick to the original plan, train our arses off, beat them, and bring Danny home!"

"What about Tom?"

"I'm sure that with Danny on our side things will be easier," I grin.

"Hmm... I see. The plan is lure Tom back using Danny in revealing underwear as a bait?" he holds his chin with a thumb, whilst the indicator rubs along his jawline.

"Tom," I flick him in the forehead, "is **not** you."

"Do you have to use force every time you want to get your point across?" He rubs his face.

I can feel myself fluster a little, 'cause his statement is somewhat true. But I'm not a brute!

"I'm kidding, Harry. You're the second kindest soul I've ever met," he weaves our fingers together. "Of course, no one can beat Tom in the kindness field."

"I wish Tom himself would believe that," I sigh.

"May I say something, master Dougie?"

"Go ahead, Brucy."

"What I'm concerned about, right now, is that duo you'll be fighting. One of them sealed your abilities in combat, right?"

"Yeah, we just don't know each of them. Though, I think it's that slut. She was pretty surprised to find out I'm good at hand-to-hand combat," he makes a victory fist with his free hand.

"Easy, _Crouching Tiger_," I smirk. "I can see Bruce's point, we should do something so you won't be defenceless in battle."

"Exactly, master Harry. They probably won't sit around and wait to be crushed, I'm sure."

"Ok, ok. I'll have Harry train me till I drop dead, if it's what you two want," Dougie frees his hand from my grip. "But I think we should create ways to fight together, as well. That Alladin guy doesn't seem to be an easy one to take down."

"Dougie, I already said it's– Forget it, you're right. You take care of that _cute_ girl, I'll deal with Danny, and we gang up on the _"goth kid",_ as you would've put it."

I regret my words when I feel a shock sting my arm, Dougie shooting daggers at me.

"Ouch! What?"

"You know what's that for," he huffs. "Say it another time, and you'll be sleeping in the couch!"

"I've been sleeping in the couch for the past two days, for your information," I try rub the numbness away. "Tom was sleeping in my bed."

_Well, if he cares, he loves me._ I smile to myself.

"_Of course I love you, you git! Guess I shouldn't, but I do."_

_That's what I get for dating a psychic._

~#~

The long day is over. So much happened, and not even a single good thing to make stuff easier for us. After discussing our next move, Dougie asks Bruce to sleep at Tom's, since he wanted to discuss _"private matters" _with me. He also asks me to go with the little bird and feed Tom's pets, since their owner won't come around in the immediate future. I show Bruce the the backyard with all the plants and animals, but we both decide it's better that he stays inside.

When I'm back at our flat, there's not a single lamp on. Thinking it's too strange, I try calling out for Dougie, but there's no response. As I can't find him downstairs, I proceed to climb steps, but my hand can't reach the banister 'cause of some invisible barrier.

"Dougs, what are you doing? Let me pass!" I don't even bother in raising the tone of my voice because I know he can hear me.

"_I knew you would be quick, but not **that** quick."_

"What's the big idea, Dougie?"

"_It's called surprise, and it won't be one if come up before I say you can."_

"How long will it take?" I sigh, sitting on the floor.

"_Almost finished. Hang on a little longer."_

"Not that I have too much of a choice, right?"

"_That's my boy!"_

Ten minutes later, I hear his voice calling my name, asking me to go straight to our room. My jaw drops to floor when I open the door: Dougie's lying on his side in bed, black boxers, a red rose between his teeth, head propped in hand; our beds are pushed together making a double one, everything surrounded by some tiny sparks floating around like fireflies; the ceiling is invisible, allowing us to actually see the stars and the moon bright in the sky and the path leading from the door to bed is covered in white petals.

I feel a smile crack on my face, but it's when Dougs wriggles his brow that I find myself in a fit of laughter.

"What?" The rose drops from his mouth. "Can't a man be romantic, any more?"

"Sorry, babe," I bite my lip to suppress a laugh. "It's... _unexpected_, that's all."

"But what do you think?" He questions me, sitting up with his arms wide open to emphasise his work.

"I think it's beautiful. A little cheesy, but I like it," I wrap my arms around his neck, as he gets closer to me, kissing him softly.

Dougie responds to the kiss, and soon I can feel his hands tugging at the bottom of my shirt, signalising he doesn't have any intention in 'just sleeping' tonight.

"Wait," I break the kiss, resting my forehead against his. "You mean you want to... _you know_..."

He just grins and places a finger upon my lips. "Only if you want to, as well. I don't wanna rush you into anything."

At his words, I just kiss him again, before carrying him to the bed –or should I say 'beds'–, where we would spend our first night as one.


	20. Synchronicity

_Disclaimer: I have ideas, I have feelings, but I don't have any right over McFly or Just My Luck._

_A/N: Don't worry I'm not going to perv this story up. I like everything fluffy and nonsensical. ;) But naughty!Dougie is too amusing to let the opportunity of a joke pass by._

Chapter XX

I wake up to the sight of Dougie lying on top of me, one hand under his chin, fingers tracing random patterns on my chest. His eyes are fixed on his drawing but he knows I'm already awake without a single glance at my face.

"You're not going to keep watching me in silence for long, I hope," he says without breaking his concentration.

"If don't like me watching you, all you have to do is ask me to stop," I chuckle briefly.

"That's okay. At least I know I still got your attention," he brings his eyes to mine, a shy smile playing on his lips.

For some unknown reason, he looks so beautiful today. It's not because we _"sealed the deal"_ –like Dougie would have put it–, but something about him today seems to captivate me more than ever before. I don't even realise I'm staring at him for some time, until he breaks the silence again.

"Earth to Harry. Are you there?" He waves a hand in front of my face.

"Sorry, just mulling things over," I pull him up so we have our eyes on the same level.

"You... Are you regretting anything yet?" I see him chew the inside of his cheek.

"What? God, no! Everything was perfect," I say hurriedly. "I was just thinking you're looking really stunning this morning."

"Stop, it! I know you must say this to _everyone!_" he slaps me in the chest, his cheeks dangerously rosy.

"You know very well you're my first _everything_," I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, same here," he kisses me gently, before hopping from 'our bed' and making his way to the door.

"Where do you think you're going, naked like that?"

"Duh! Bathroom? Some people need a shower from time to time, and we still have to pick Bruce up."

"Oh," I mouth. For a second there, I completely forgot about him.

"You're needing one, too. Now, if you're enough of a good boy, I promise I'll wash your hair," he winks at me and disappears before reaching for the doorknob.

Maybe something _is_ different between us, 'cause I'm already on my feet, stepping into the bathroom the next second.

~#~

We're all sitting at table, eating breakfast. Bruce is contently munching on a fruit he brought from Tom's garden, whilst me and Dougie are eating pancakes with syrup, some fruits and yoghurt. Everything's peaceful until Bruce brings up a _delicate_ matter.

"Did you two talk last night, master Harry?" the bird asks me out of blue, making me choke and gasp for air. Dougie keeps his cool and I can tell by his eyes he's smirking, even though his cup is covering his lips, as he sips on his drink.

"Oh, yeah, absolutely!" I slam my hand to my chest, trying to get the food back to go down my oesophagus**.**

"Are you okay, master Harry?" Bruce asks again, but this time Dougie is there to help me. Or not.

"Yes, Brucy. _We talked all night long._ In fact, we want your opinion about it," Dougie gives me his _I'm-so-pleased-about-this-whole-situation_ smile, and I can feel the blood drain from my face.

"Sure, master Dougie. What is it?"

"Today we're training combos, 'cause we're feeling _especially close_," he resumes his drinking.

"That's wonderful! I'm sure you're going to be great together!" Bruce flaps his wings excited.

"You have _no idea_, Brucy," he winks at me, a smug grin on his face.

We continue our meal in silence, except for the mental argument me and Dougie are having.

"_I can't believe it! You almost killed me, you know?"_

"_Harry, we're talking about a bird, here. He's not Tom"_

"_Yeah, but he's __**Danny's bird**__. Danny, the guy Tom is madly in love with?"_

"_You worry too much, it's not like we're doing anything wrong. And if Tommy were here, he would have known in a heartbeat with that annoying ability of his."_

"_True enough."_

"_Tell me something I don't know."_

"_You're a twat!"_

"_Doesn't change the fact that you l-o-v-e me. Just keep in mind that you started this conversation; I didn't know you could use telepathy without my help."_

"_Let's finish breakfast, ok? I'm __**not**__ going easy on you today."_

"_Hmm... I like it rough!"_

"_Oh, God..."_

~#~

After deciding to use the abandoned factory as training ground, Dougie take us there to get our 'homework' done. Bruce's in some sort of supervision cabin where we can hear him from speakers whilst he keeps himself out of harm.

"I guess we should start with unarmed combat?" I take some distance from Dougie.

"Yeah, I want to be able to pummel The Adams Family even if I can't shock them," he keeps jumping on a single spot, warming himself up.

"Okay, I'll start on a average level, and after each 5 minutes I'll increase the difficulty for you a little, until I'm going all out on you. Be prepared," I start to warm up, as well.

"Bring it on, coach!"

We both assume fighting instances, waiting for Bruce's signal. When I hear a husky _"Go!"_ coming from the speakers, I charge at Dougie. He's handling himself very well and I can see how he could easily beat that Ophelia girl with easy, or even buy Tom some time when they fought Danny. I even find myself struggling to keep us with him in my current power level. In my daydreaming, I let him escape from my vision field for a split moment, soon tasting the floor beneath my feet, my arms immobilised, Dougs' arms locked behind my head.

"That just now," I puff trying to break free from his grasp, "you used a flash step!"

"What the hell is a 'flash step'?"

"It's how I named the technique I use to move fast. It's like a tiny burst of _chi_ focused on your legs," I try again to shake myself free. "I didn't know you could do that."

Dougie lets go of me, taking a few steps behind. "Are you telling me that we're now able to use each other's abilities to some extent?"

"A little to soon to be sure, but I would say it's very likely."

"No! I can't be a Black Mage**[1] **if I turn into some sort of Warrior _ogre_ like you!"

"Oh, you don't mean it!"

"Yes, I do."

"You're in for it, Poynter!"

_**[1] see chapter 14 – Against the Hands of Time.**_

~#~

The sun is already going down on the horizon when we finish our training session. The results are pretty good; Dougie's stamina and reflexes are significantly better and I find myself with an improved resistance to electricity.

"_Do you really think it's because __**what**__ we did?"_

"_There's no other explanation, Haz."_

"_Seems like our wires got crossed last night."_

"_You bet they did."_

"_Not the dirty jokes, again..."_

"_You're the one who said it."_

"_But how did it happen? It doesn't make sense, Dougie!"_

"_I'm not sure there are too many things 'making sense' in our lives, right now."_

"_Checkmate."_

"_Can't beat the master!"_

"Master Dougie, master Harry, are you all right?"

"We're fine, Bruce. Don't worry."

"You fell silent for so long that I thought something was off, sir." He lands on my shoulder.

"Hey! I thought I was your favourite?" Dougie asks in disbelief.

"And you say I'm the jealous one," I shrug, sticking my tongue out to him.

"Let's go home, I'm famished!" Dougie responds with a stuck tongue of his own.

~#~

Dougie races me back to our place and when he's about to claim victory, I tackle him to the floor, tickling every inch of his body, we both rolling inside through the front door. He tries in vain to form a coherent speech, but I'm keen on punishing him for the embarrassing moment we had this morning during breakfast.

"You better beg for mercy, or you'll die from laughter," I warn him.

"Please... Harry... Let me go!" He gasps for air.

"I guess I'll let you go this time. Be thankful for that, little brat," I place a kiss on his forehead, making him giggle.

"What are we having for dinner?" He plays absent-mindedly with my hair.

"I dunno. Not anything too complicated, 'cause you're know very well I'm not a good cook as Tom."

"I don't think it's going to be a problem, master Harry," Bruce appears flying over us. "I smell something really good in the kitchen."

Scrambling to my feet, I pick on the smell the birdie is referring to. I go to the source of the aroma followed by the other two, when we get a glimpse of the feast laid on the table, including a big chocolate pudding for dessert.

"Rice, roasted beef, salad, eggs, lasagne," Dougs whistles. "I can't remember the last time we had a meal like that."

"But who–" I stop mid-sentence when I see a note attached to the cupboard.

"_I heard you two were training your arses off, so I decided to leave you a little gift. :)_

_Oh, seems like Bruce is fond of my fruits, so I made him something, too._

_Take care, and we see each other soon. I miss you, guys!_

_XX_

_Tom_

_PS: OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU TWO DID __**IT**__! I'm so happy for you! Don't worry, I'm not telling anyone. ;)_

_PS2: Just to clarify, I wasn't perving on you, or anything (that would be Dougie, not me). I know because I could sense a new found __**happiness**__ emanating from both. :P"_

I hand the note to Dougie, who then mirrors the same surprised expression on my face. _Tom was here._


	21. Warped Reality

_Disclaimer: It's a good thing I don't own them, 'cause I wouldn't like to see them hurt._

_A/N: I'm starting to really like this story! Answers **will** come, don't worry. Not sure when, but they'll definitely come! Hahaha! :) I want to thank you all and say that we're almost reaching the end (maybe two or three more to go)._

_**Neon Douche, **I feel you! Already lost count of how many times I had the combination late night + fic + song! :)_

Chapter XXI

"This is bullshit!" Dougie paces back and forth, chewing on his knuckles.

"Dougie, calm down," I ask him, arms folded over my chest.

"How can I remain calm, when I know our best mate is _hiding_ from us?"

I try to say something to convince him otherwise, but I know can't argue with that. What exactly is Tom thinking? He doesn't want to see us, but he still take his time to take care of us? If he were close enough to read us, how come I didn't sense him?

"What if it's a trap?" Dougie brings me back from my thoughts with his question, his eyes significantly widened.

"I don't think he would do anything to us, Dougie," I reprimand him with a frown.

"Not talking about Tommy, I'm talking about the _goth gang_," he snaps his fingers. "It could even be poisoned!"

"No need to worry about that," Bruce lands on my head. "I don't detect any toxin in the food, master Dougie"

"How do you even know that, Bruce?" I try to catch his eye through our reflection on the fridge.

"I'm able to synthesise every poison known to the man, as well as the antidotes to them. I also can detect them by smell," he flaps his wings. I reckon it's a habitual thing for him to do whenever he's happy or excited about something.

"Besides, it's his handwriting on the letter. He even called you a _perv_, Dougs."

"I guess you two are right. But even then–"

"Let's eat! We can't afford to let good food go to waste," I interrupt him. "Also, I need to discuss something else with you two." I quickly drag him to the table, Bruce still on top of my head.

~#~

"Thanks for the meal," the feathered fella bows.

"You should be thanking Tom, but I'll accept it in his place," I scratch his head with my forefinger. "You're welcome, Bruce"

"Hazza," Dougie yawns, "can we get to topic you want to talk about? I _really_ need some rest."

"Wow, that's something I never thought I would hear from you," I chuckle as open my arms to him. "Hop on."

Dougie jumps into my arms and I carry him to the living room, Bruce trailing behind us. Like most of the times we assemble a meeting to discuss a serious matter, we sit on the floor in a circular formation. I start revising all the happenings from the past two days, until I finally get to the crucial point in our chat.

"We have three more days before the final battle, right?" They both nod as a response. "But what guarantee we have that everything will truly be over when we defeat Alla– Aldwin?"

"We don't," Dougs stifles another yawn. "Actually, we don't even know for sure if we can defeat him."

"Exactly! That's why I want to obtain more data that may help us!" I smack a fist on my open palm.

"Calm down, hot stuff. You want to go back to that underground lab?"

"Nope, I want you to collect the information from my brain," I point to my forehead with my index finger.

"You can't, master Harry! Won't it be dangerous?" The little bird chirps agitatedly, the yellow plume on his head reddening a little.

"Whoa, now you really made Brucy pissed!" Dougie laughs, trying to calm Danny's pet. "He's right, not only it's dangerous, but it would take me at least half a day. Not to mention the physical toll."

"But I got myself covered in goo for that thing!"

"It was before things escalated to a full conspiracy of mass extermination!"

"I trust you," I cover his hands with mine. To be honest, I look like a kid asking his parents for permission to do something. He gives me a shy smile, but stops when he catches himself mid-action.

"I don't know about that, Harry."

"Come on, Dougs! We're desperate, here!"

"Sorry, but I'm still against this idea, master Harry."

Dougie looks from me to Bruce multiples times, his bottom lip drained from blood as he's biting on it for some time. Deciding I have to win this round, I try Tom's strategy: the kicked puppy look. I'm sure I'm not as good as Tom to successfully pull it on Dougie, but it's worth a try.

"If you're not too tired afterwards, we can do something _nice_," I give him my best innocent look.

"Okay," he sighs. "But you better keep your promise!"

"Master Dougie–"

"Sorry, Brucy. You'll understand when you grow up and find a birdie of your own," he picks the pet up and start making his way upstairs. Now we just need a cold shower and a good night of rest.

~#~

We're all up early, in the next morning. After a generous meal, we're ready to go through with my plan. Bruce's still dead set against it, but since he hasn't bared his fangs to me, I know he respects our decision.

"Let's get our facts correct," Dougie looks into my eyes. "You want all the info pertinent to this island and the Polaris project, right?"

"Yeah, if Aldwin is speaking the truth, I don't think there should be anyone stronger than him or anyone from our group."

"Okay, just to make sure," he props his laptop close to him, types some code lines and plugs a cable to it, the other end resting inside his mouth.

"What?" He asks, seeing as me and Bruce have our eyes on him. "I just want to make a digital copy, that's all."

"Okay... Whenever you're ready, I'm ready for you," I reply, unsure of what to think.

"_Don't say that, or I might not be able to stop myself from doing something **very** wrong," _he keeps on typing.

"_I thank heavens for Bruce not being able to read minds. Focus on what you have to do, Dougs."_

"_Was that a **'what'** or a **'who'**?" _I can see his lips curving into a grin and I shake my head in disbelief. I swear, sometimes I just can't handle him. Trying to think of a good comeback, I'm surprised when he pulls my head onto his lap, ordering me to lie down. He puts his hands on my temple and asks Bruce to keep an eye to the screen.

The process goes smoother than anticipated, taking just a few hours. We still have one hour till lunch, so Dougie starts to analyse the extracted data, grouping it into a huge database. I'm feeling a bit of a headache, but nothing too serious that I can't heal myself up.

"Well, gentlemen, the operation is a complete success!" Dougie beams, showing us the screen with some kind of diagrams that represent God-knows-what.

"Great, now what do we know about Aldwin?" I clasp my hands together, a new hope shining in my eyes.

"Anything about Master Daniel?" I feel a tiny body land on my shoulder.

"Calm down, boys," I'll tell you everything we need to know. At least for now," he smiles proud of himself.

~#~

Even without all the intensive training of yesterday, we're tired enough to take a nap on the floor. Dougie resting his head on my chest, Bruce nested between my boyfriend's shoulder blades and my arms that's slung over the boy.

Enjoying our momentary peace, I let out a content sigh. It's been a week or so since the world kinda blew on our faces and our lives got turned upside down. Starting to drift again, my inner peace is cut short when I hear noises coming from the kitchen. Without waking the other two, I move swiftly from under them, draping a blanket from the couch over them.

I walk slowly towards the source of noise, hearing pans and cutlery clash against each other. With a flash step, I get behind a skinny brunet boy who is cooking something in our kitchen. The boy almost falls from the stool he's sitting on, seeing as he's not tall enough to reach our cooker.

"You try anything funny, and your head rolls, brat," I lock his head in my arm.

"Harry?" I hear a familiar, small voice hiccups. I would recognise that voice anywhere.

"Tom?" I loose my grip on the boys neck, stepping back.

"Harry!" The boy jumps on me, looping his arms around my neck. I immediately put him down, taking a good look at the figure in front of me. He's not chubby, and apart from the blue eyes and dark hair, everything tells me he's really Tom. The only odd thing here is that I can't sense his presence at all, even though he's within arm reach. I kneel to be on his eye level and he gives me another hug, before pulling back.

"Did you like the food I made for you?" He asks me, his shining blue eyes showing his eagerness for my answer.

"Yeah, that was great. Thanks, mate," I ruffle his hair and he giggles at my touch.

"Aww, Harry! You're a meanie, don't mess with my hair!" he half pouts, half laughs, trying to hand comb his hair. "Help me finish this before Dougs wake up." He motions for me to pick him up and put him back on the stool.

"Tom, what happened to you? Why are you a kid again?"

"Silly Harry," he giggles, resuming his cooking. "You're the one who's grown up!"

"What are saying, have you gone nuts?" I yell. The kid almost meets the ground, if I don't pick him before the impact.

He's crying hard, whilst I try to silence him with soothing sounds. I'm not an expert in handling children. Never was and never will be.

"Enough, Tom. You're not hurt, okay? I'm sorry for yelling at you," I rub his back in circles.

"You're not mad at me?" He sniffles, unburying his head from the crook of my neck.

"'Course not! You know I love you," I wipe the tears from his tiny eyes with my thumb, promptly shaking him whilst making noises with my mouth. He starts laughing so hard, that no more sound comes from his mouth. Taking it as my cue, I stop to take a good look at his face all rosy.

"I love you, too, Harry," he kisses me on the cheek and jumps from my arms, going back to his original position. Helping him back to the stool, I try to make conversation and ask him more things.

"Why are you here, Tommy?"

"I just wanted to see if you two are okay. We're family, you know?" He smiles, revealing that some of his teeth are missing.

"Are you back for good, then?"

"It's done!" He claps excitedly and climbs down from his seat. "I hope you like it!"

"Tom, answer my question, please," I press. The smile disappears from his face, and the next thing he tells me, comes out in his adult voice.

"Harry, I'm here to warn you."

"Tom, are you there?" He doesn't seem to hear me and completely ignores my question.

"You know that I love you and Dougie, right?" I nod to his question. "Good," he grins briefly. "From now on I may 'cause trouble for you two, but I hope you remember this conversation and believe me. Only love can save us all, Harry. When the chain of hatred shatters, the truth will reveal itself. Remember those who are dear to you and never let them go."

"Tom, what you mean–"

"Just remember that when a friend strays from the path they're meant to be on, it's duty of a real friend to lead them back," his body starts to break down in tiny little bright pieces, floating in the air.

"Tom, wait–" I try to reach him, his tiny frame vanishing between my fingers.

"Harry!" Someone calls my name and I jolt awake to the sight of Dougie and Bruce's worried faces, the latter with his top feather tinted light blue instead of the usual gold. I'm guessing when he's feeling a strong emotion, it shows on his colours.

"You got me worried!" Dougie hugs my head against his chest. "You were mumbling in your sleep and I couldn't wake you!"

"Where's Tom?" I hold Dougs by the shoulders.

"Tom's not here, Ha–"

I flash step to the kitchen, Dougie doing the same, and we see one stool in front of the cooker, pans and pots filled with recently cooked food on the table. I look at Dougie who just shakes his head. Getting closer to the stool, I pick a note similar to the one we got yesterday.

"_Remember everything I said, Harry. Only love will _–_and can_–_ save us._

_XX_

_Tom"_


	22. Dim Hope

_Disclaimer: What even makes you think I own them?_

_A/N: My apologies to any possible new reader. I messed up and switched chapters II and X (What the hell?). *punches self in the face* Everything's back to normal! :)_

_**Neon Douche**, I died with the 'bloop'! Bwahaha! You're awesome!_

_**PerfectDreamWithHim**__,__ please, hold on to your sanity! I wouldn't like to have that on my conscience! Hahaha!_

Chapter XXII

I pass the note to Dougie, letting myself slump to the floor with a loud thud. The other two are as shocked as I am, cause not a single sound was heard and there's no way somebody could cook in absolute silence.

"Again?" I hear Dougie sighs beside me. It's almost the same scene from yesterday, a large amount of food with a note written by Tom.

"Everything is safe to eat," Bruce announces, landing on the counter.

"This is just like my dream," I whisper. Immediately Dougie crouches and bids me to tell what happened.

"Let's go back to the living room," he pulls me up with him.

~#~

"That's odd," Dougie gets up from the couch. "It's like your dream happened, but I can assure you otherwise, cause I was awake long before you. I would have noticed Tom _fucking_ cooking in our kitchen, as well."

"For now, let's focus on the fact that he came –somehow– to warn us. _"Only love can –and will save us",_" I quote part of his note.

"And now he's really starting to act like that crazy Danny, leaving insane riddles here and there!" He throws his arms up, casting Bruce an apologetic look, since he's sort of bad mouthing its owner.

"What do we do now? After tomorrow we'll have to fight," I lace my fingers together, resting my head on my palms.

"Since Tom's not here to explain shit, we'll complete our schedule and save the city. The End," He says, jumping on the couch and propping his head on my lap.

"You say like it like we're going to wash a dog or something," I chuckle, snaring my fingers on his hair. "We must prepare ourselves mentally, as well. It's obvious that we'll have to fight Danny, sooner or later."

"And that will suck balls," Dougie closes his eyes, making some purring noises at my touch. Sometimes I wonder if there's some cat DNA inside him.

"Should we go sleep, then, master Harry?" Bruce eyes me from the top of the bookshelf.

"It's a little too early for that, don't you think? We can eat and play some cards till later, though."

"Let's take a bath!" Dougie's already on his feet, dragging me by the hand to the bathroom.

"And I have to go with you because...?" I tug back at his hand.

"Because it's more fun this way," he grins, still pulling me with him. _"Bruce is staying here tonight, so we won't have time for ourselves."_

"_Sometimes I think you only want me for my body, Dougs."_

"_Well, you heart **is** part of your body, so... I reckon you're technically correct."_

"Bruce, we won't take too long. If you're too hungry, you can start without us," I yell before my head disappears at the top of the stairs.

"Don't worry, masters. I'll wait," he chirps lovingly.

"_See? We better get ready soon."_

"_I'll remember this one, Harold Mark Christopher Judd. You're gonna pay dearly for what you did." _He shoves me inside the bathroom and we proceed to take a shower. Not too long after, we're all eating the delicious food Tom left us, then playing for some time, and finally going to bed. We have a long day coming.

_~#~_

"Haz, this is ace!" Dougie claps, when I finish my demonstration. Bruce seems very excited as well, since his plume is a shade brighter than his usual golden yellow.

"Thank you," I take a bow. "This will make battles much more fluid, I hope."

"Do think you I can do it, as well?"

"I don't see why not. But maybe you should try it with electricity, since it's something you are more attuned to."

"Yeah, but I lose my _mojo_ when the _slutty praying mantis_ is around," he frowns.

"You really don't like her, eh?" I smirk. "Don't forget that it could be Aldwin's doing, too."

"I'll go with my instincts on this one. I'm pretty sure it's _her._"

"Whatever you say, Dougs. Let's resume our training," I slap his bum, making him chase me through the entire factory.

Bruce, who's watching our moves –or trying to–, is cheering loudly and I don't know how he hasn't passed from lack of air. I'm especially pleased with Dougie's progress; his speed and stamina pretty much doubled up and now he can definitely fight for himself, not matter the conditions.

"I guess I don't have anything else to teach you," I lean against a pillar of the huge place panting.

"Thanks, _sensei_," Dougie pants as well, sprawled on the floor. "I guess we're ready to get our peace back," he lifts a fist in the air and I bump it with one of my own.

"That's the spirit, mate!"

~#~

The the long, dreaded morning finally comes, and we're all ready to go. Dougie even made Bruce some kind of waistcoat using one of our old uniforms. I look through the window one last time, in hopes Tom will show up, but there's not a sign of him. Grabbing Dougs' hand and holding the bird on my other arm, he takes us back to the same spot we visited some days ago.

"It will be a little more difficult to tell who's willing to fight us an who's not, so we'll just assume everyone's that's not any of us is an enemy, ok?" I look at Dougie.

"Yeah, it would be easier if Tom were here," he sighs deeply. "At least we would know from the start who wants to kill us and stuff."

"But we can identify the enemies we already know," I try to cheer him up. "Let's try to make a quick work. Not that believe it's going to be that easy."

Dougie takes us inside the same training grounds we fought the others, but this time there's no one around. Not even Danny.

"Weird," I let Bruce fly to a branch high from the ground. "I thought they would be expecting us to show up."

"Yeah, something is really off."

"You do not have to worry about such petty details," a child's voice laughs. "It is not like you are not going anywhere, Mister."

On the far corner of the area, some shadows start swirling around, three forms emerging from the dark vortex.

"Good Morning, Harold," he smiles. "Oh, good morning, Douglas."

"Alladin!" I hear Dougie shout, though I don't even bother in correcting him.

"Such a long time,_ non?_ Did you miss _moi, chérie?_" I see the Ophelia girl blow me a kiss.

"I see you brought the resident hooker with you," Dougie sniggers. "You haven't done anything about your horrible french, as well," he earns a glare from the her.

Emerging along with the two, comes Danny. Still on the same deplorable state we last saw him, only that he looks like a gun chewed on for a month. I mentally warn Bruce to keep quiet and hidden, being thankful when he stays in his hiding place and says nothing.

"Look, we don't got much time. Can't we just finish this soon?" I take some steps forward.

"I love _fort_ men!" The blonde jumps in the air, throwing herself in my direction. Before I even try to dodge, Dougie sends her flying with a heavy blow, using his elbow shrouded in electricity.

"I _warned_ you to stay away from Harry, _peroxide queen_," he buffs like a mad bull. Now I'm _sure_ he _really_ doesn't like her.

Ophelia does a barrel roll in the air, before sinking her fingers on the ground, stopping her trajectory heading straight into a wall. She starts laughing maniacally, before he lifts her head again, fangs like those of a wild boar springing from her mouth.

"Pretty _garçon_ wants to fight? We can fight all you want! I'll make sure to give you an agonizing _fin,_ before I can do _whatever_ I want to your boyfriend," she snaps her neck to the side.

"Dougs, beware," I warn him. "I'm sure you can sense there's something strange about her _chi_."

"Can't say for sure, as I couldn't feel presences before, but there's something definitely wrong with her," he brings one leg behind him, assuming fighting instance. "And I'm not even talking about her _screaming_ need for braces. Have you seen those teeth?"

Dougie puts his hands together forming a spear from energy and lighting, swirling the weapon in his hand, tucking it between his shoulder blades. We hear some loud clapping, Aldwin's speaking soon after.

"Can you please do it again?" He looks at Dougie with fascinated eyes.

"Sorry, kiddo. The ticket you got only gives you one trick per fight," Dougie gives the little boy a sly grin.

"But don't worry about that, let's get started," I charge to hit him, when Danny appears on the way, blocking my attack with his forearms in a X formation.

"Sorry, Harold," the kid grins. "Seems like your old mate have some matters to discuss with you."

The white-haired boy disappears inside his shadows, and I am again facing Danny. I guess I'll have to defeat him first.

"Danny, it's me, Harry. Can you hear me?"

"New target... Eliminate..." he mumbles, before gazing at me with his lifeless eyes.

Bruce's theory is dead right, cause Danny's speed and force are greater than before. Blocking his attacks, I decide that this time I'll fight back, using his own ability against him. There's no guarantee my plan is going to work, but it's my only hope. Flash stepping from Danny, I close my eyes, grasping the air like I'm holding a stick. Two short bars of energy appear in each hand, giving form to a pair of _tonfas,_ same length as my forearms.

"Come on, Danny! I'll bring you back to your senses, even if by force," I spin my weapons, locking them along my arms.

Danny stops for a second, fumbling with his shirt in search of something. When I recall what he could possibly be looking for, it's already too late; I see a shiny silver gun take aim at me, his finger ready to pull the trigger.


	23. Uninvited

_Disclaimer: I'm sure you already know the deal._

_A/N: It's time for some action! Just warning 'cause it could be a potential trigger for some._

_For everyone still sticking with me and my randomness: you may have your questions answered with the next chapter. See? I'm not __**that**__ evil! ;)_

_For some reason the word 'uninvited' always reminds me of that Alanis Morissette song by the same name (which I love, by the way)._

Chapter XXIII

From the corner of his eye, Dougie sees Aldwin disappear and leave Danny to fight Harry. Anxiety fills his body when Danny brings out his gun, but it's not like he doesn't have problems of his own, right now.

"You picked the wrong_ enemmi_, _chérie._"

"You _do_ know _you're_ the one who flirted with _my_ boyfriend, right?"

"Don't mind those _petit_ details, _oui_?" She laughs it off, the air around them suddenly getting heavier.

Dougie tightens his grip on his weapon when the girl's body goes into spasm, her muscular mass growing at a freakish rate. Her boots no longer can accommodate her feet that has now turned into hooves similar to those of a horse, tearing themselves free from the footwear; her thighs and upper body are build like a gorilla's, the sleeves of the top already gone; the nails turned into deadly sharp claw; her golden hair is now a fiery ginger, encasing her now contorted face, the same features of a pig.

"...The hell?" Dougie barely has the time to dodge a punch that shatters the ground with power to dig a 16 feet wide hole.

"Tsc, I missed," the monstrous figure raises her fist, trying to find any trace of blood.

Taking her distraction as a opening, Dougie lands on her back spinning his spear and sinking it on the beast's shoulder. His attack seems to have some effect when he hears a howl from under him, but the instant he makes contact with the transformed Ophelia, the electricity from his weapon vanishes.

"What?" But he has no time to ponder what happened as a heavy arm swats him away, grazing his head slightly.

"No more sparks for you, _mon petit_," she grins revealing a mouth full of sharp looking teeth.

"So it's really your ability, huh?" Dougie smirks, wiping the blood from his forehead. Seems like the scratch he received is a little more deep than he thought.

"_Oui_, my ability -if you so want to call it that- is to disable other people's abilities," she balls her huge hands into fists, retracting her claws, red eyes fixed on the blond.

"Envy, right? You don't have something, and at the same time you don't want anyone else to have it, too?" he grabs his spear with both hands. "It seems, though, it doesn't work on everyone, 'cause I still have my weapon."

"Such a nuisance, that is," she spits. "There's no information that you were able to do something like that."

"The same goes to you. I'm sure if you could just transform into a beast, you would have done so when first fought."

"Aren't you _intelligent?_ Alpha gave me this power. I don't like the outward appearance, but it's _très_ handy."

"Matches how you are on the inside, though. Envy is _not_ a beautiful thing."

~#~

Danny rapidly shoots three times in my direction, but I deflect the bullets with a spin of my _tonfas_. If my prediction is correct, he have only more 3 shots, meaning he'll have to fight me at close range, sooner or later.

"Danny, wake up! I know you don't want to this, too!" His response comes in a form of another shot. This time I dodge before closing our distance and bringing him down with a low spinning sweep. His body never lands on the floor 'cause he uses his free hand as a stand and shoots me at point blank range.

"Harry!" I hear Dougie screams in the distance, still engaged in battle with the transformed Ophelia. Holding the wound on my shoulder, I quickly close the wound still feeling the stinging sensation from the bullet.

"Amazing as always, Danny," I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "But we don't have time for this." I shoot a sphere of energy from my hand and he blocks it with another shot. My chance presents itself before me 'cause he doesn't have ammo.

Danny turns his rosary back, taking instance. He charges at me at full speed as I ready my weapons for combat.

"Target... resisting... " He mumbles between the blows we exchange.

"At least you know I'm not going down so easily."

He starts using more power in his attacks, and I start to follow his pace, only using the tonfas to shield the attacks and use the momentum to strike back. Danny's ability is an amazing thing, but the biggest flaw is that it only has use if he's being in danger by someone else. Tonfas are weapons designated to both defence and attack; it's not that hard to use the enemy's own attacks against them. That has been my plan from the very beginning.

~#~

Dougie wants to just beat the shit out of Danny when the later shots Harry. He knows Harry won't be defeated so easily but that doesn't mean he's okay with having his boyfriend suffer.

"You don't have time to worry about your _copain_, loverboy," Ophelia launches another attack, shaking Dougie out of his stupor as he block her claws with the length of his weapon.

"Won't... you... go down!" He swats the claws away, cutting her in the abdomen. The creature roars clawing another open wound.

The battle has been heated so far, both sides holding well their ground, considering all the damage dealt and received. Ophelia is soaked on her black blood from wounds all over her huge body. Dougie, on the other hand, have fewer bruises and wounds, but they're also deeper and more serious than the girl's, who excels him in force, but not in speed. In all fairness, one could say they're even.

"This is the most fun I have had in my whole _vie," _she pants, grinning with one of her fangs broken.

"Being beat is what you call 'having fun'?" He throws her an exasperated look. "Bitch, you got issues!"

"Don't you like the _adrénaline_ coursing through your veins? Don't you feel alive?" She cackles, and Dougie's now sure the monstrous girl has totally lost it.

"Listen up, creep. I'd prefer to stay home reading a book than just getting my arse in some sort of crazy war, ok?" He plants his spear on the ground. "Let's make the next attack our last, _oui_?"

"Makes me want to eat you up," she tastes her claws with a wet, long tongue, a malicious look on her face.

"Okaaaay... Now I'm officially terrified," he readies himself for battle again.

Using the last ounces of his energies, Dougie zooms on his enemy, dodging the blow with a cartwheel between her legs. Wasting no time, he somersaults on her back, sinking the spear on the monster's neck making the tip spring in a hook inside the flesh. Ophelia tries to turn and punch the boy off her back, but her limbs don't respond to any movement, bringing her face down to the ground.

"What have you done to _moi_?" She barks, still trying to shake Dougie off with what's left of her mobility.

"Wait, are you telling me that you _really_ thought I hit you in a random pattern?" He shakes his head. "It's people like you who gives us blonds a dumb reputation."

Dougie squats in front of her face, starting his explanation. He wouldn't admit it, but he loves when he has to show his brilliance to people.

"Have you ever heard of acupuncture or _chakra_? Basically, what I did was to leave a shard of my _chi_ weapon inside every cut I gave you. Every and each of those points are now barring your energy from flowing freely through your body, thus sealing your movements," He beams as if just discovered the secret to world peace.

"Even if I can't move, you won't defeat _moi _without your sparks, _mon chérie,_" she snarls.

"That's true, indeed," the blond crosses his arms and pouts, soon after smiling again, even wider than before. "That's why I brought this."

Dougie pulls a black device from inside the front of his trousers and holds it in front of the girl on the ground. "Think nothing strange of it, I had to keep it safe throughout the fight, that's why I hid it _there_."

Ophelia's face looks less smug when she finally realises what's that the boy holds: an electroshock weapon. Her face goes pale and horror floods her body.

"_Non_, stop it! Don't do that, _s'il vous plaît_!"

"And now you're catching on!" He winks at her, soon positioning himself on the overgrown back. "Sorry, but this is where we part ways." Getting hold of his spear with his right hand, Dougie activates the gadget sending all the electricity he could extract from it straight into the creature's nervous system, a small burst sending him reeling.

~#~

I take my eyes off Danny for a instant when I hear a explosion where Dougie is fighting and he takes the opportunity to slip from my grasp. He kneels fatigued and I see he's also looking at the direction the sound came from. I see Dougie opening a clean path through the smoke, walking slowly towards a naked girl on the ground. With a flick of his hand, he cuts a some large leaves from a tree nearby with a lighting, making them float to cover the girl's body. Although he's clearly exhausted, his actions prove he really defeated Ophelia.

"See that? Your friend won't be able to help you," I look to Danny, who's still panting and trying to recover from his struggle. "I swear you're next. I'm going to wake you from this trance!"

"Haz," Dougie appears by my side, "are you all right?"

"Better than ever, knowing you're still alive."

"You really thought I was going to die, didn't you?" I chuckle at the hint of deception in his voice.

"Not even a bit. Now we need to take care of Danny and chase after Aldwin."

"Got ya!" He teleports himself behind the freckled boy. It'll be easy to take him down, once Dougs seals his movements.

"_Do you really think I will do nothing when I see you were able to defeat Ophey?"_ a voice echoes in the air. _"Water Pact: Frozen Coffin."_

A snowstorm whips over Dougie with a blinding flash. When it fades, I try to rub the brightness from my eyes the best I can. I feel my insides turn when I see Dougie trapped inside an iron maiden of ice, crystal clear except for the redness that spreads through it.

"Seems like you weren't expecting that," a young voice speaks. "You're the one to blame, because you want to hurt my Danny!" The tiny owner of the voice appears from behind Danny, hugging him almost at waist level. My horror turns into nightmare when I realize who's the kid with him.

"Tom..."

"Good morning, Harry! I'm sorry, but you'll have to die, too," he giggles.


	24. Sacrifice

_Disclaimer: What even makes you think I own them?_

_A/N: Action, blood, violence, possible triggers everywhere. You've been warned!_

_I've been sizzling with ideas and already got three or four drafts waiting to be expanded into chapters! :D This is the last week for us and our boys!_

_**Ideasfromthebraintoscreen**__, please don't go bald. I know the feeling but don't that! Hahaha!_

_**Danny's Stargirl**__, Some answers are here, don't worry!_

_**Neon Douche**__, I must be a cat, 'cause I lost count of how many lives I lost to your comments! Hahaha! I have a baseball bat I use on fictional characters who cross me. Wanna borrow?_

_**PerfectDreamWithHim**__, Time to celebrate, 'cause some answers are finally here! ;)_

Chapter XXIV

It takes me a few seconds for my brain to acknowledge the scene before my eyes; Dougie lifeless body trapped inside a enormous scarlet-stained ice block.

"Dougie! Don't worry, I'm taking you out of there," I promptly get closer to his ice prison ready to smash it to bits.

"Wind Pact: Air Lenses," I hear just before I hit some invisible wall separating me from the captive Dougs.

"Tom, what are you doing? He's dying!" Tom only giggles, before chanting another one of his 'pacts'.

"Light Pact: Goddess' Blessing," he recites, a bright light enveloping Danny, instantaneously healing him from all his wounds. "I told you, it's all you fault, Harry. I won't let you hurt Danny any more."

Tom untangles himself from the other boy, taking some steps back. I keep my guard up since he obviously seems to be plotting something, but not even in my wildest dreams I would have guessed it right: with the words _"Fire pact: Burnt Game" _Tom creates a fire dome encasing me and Danny inside, the appearance of a giant cage being consumed by flames, the grid openings just big enough to let an arm through.

"Now you're won't be able to go anywhere," he claps, content with his work. "Danny, beat the bad guy!"

"Release... Judgment... Chain mode..." Danny mumbles. His rosary emits a strong light and turns into a _kurasigama_, which he readily spins both ends. He throws the sickle at my direction and I able to deflect it with just one swing, but when I feel the the other end of his weapon constrict around my neck I know I fell straight into his trap.

"Go, Danny, go!" I hear Tom cheering from outside the cage. "Harry's gonna lose! Harry's gonna lose!" He does a silly dance celebrating my disadvantage, hopping about the place.

"Tom, stop it, please!"

"Too late for you," he sticks his tongue out. "Sky Pact: Thunderbolt."

The sky turns grey and a massive lighting descends upon me almost knocking me unconscious, my whole body numbing. If wasn't for Dougie's resistance to electricity, I would probably be dead by now. I fall to my knees forcing myself to stay up.

"Tom, what's wrong? That's not you! The Tom I know would never hurt me or Dougie!" I try to break loose from the chain around my neck. It's choking the air out of me and it's sturdy enough to sustain my full powered blows and not shatter. "What's happening here?!"

"_You seem confused, Harold," _another voice fills the air. "It is only fair you know everything before you die," Aldwin appears beside Tom, taking the brunet boy hand on his own.

Now that Tom's reverted back to a kid, the resemblance is uncanny, disturbing yet. Their faces are the same, except that Tom unusually thin while Aldwin retains the chubbiness I have in my memories of my childhood with my friend; the hair and eye colours are completely contrasting, black and white, blue and red.

"You're the one to blame for all this! Dougie, Danny, Tom, why do you hate us so much?"

"First I will tell you what is going on and after that I may answer your question," the white-haired boy smiles.

~#~

Tom was tired. That was the only thing he knew for sure. He was tired of fighting, tired of all the endless battles, tired of the insane week he and his friends are having, tired of this feeling of hopelessness clutched to his chest. All he wanted was to live in peace with Harry and Dougie, and if possible, with Danny, too. But right now, not even Tom knew who he really was, because he's nothing more than just a copy. A copy from someone artificially created that wants to kill everything he holds dear. What guarantee he had he wouldn't turn out to be exactly like his –if you may– progenitor?

"I always thought the guys' eyes were beautiful, but I feel a little disturbed having them myself," he talks to no one, gazing his reflect in the placid waters of a lake. "And what's with his hair? I remember dyeing it black once, and I didn't like it that much. I was pissed at Dougie for a whole week," he chuckled, letting himself fall back onto the grass.

The sky was clear, the sun shone over him and some birds were flying near the clouds. For a moment Tom felt in peace with himself, with the world. He inhaled deeply, moving his arms and legs like he was trying to make a snow angel in the grass. It was a stupid idea 'cause there was nothing but grass as long as his eyesight could see. He laughed to himself and rolled on his stomach picking a withered flower nearby, contemplating its simplicity and beauty.

"What exactly I should do? I can't simply go back to the guys after what happened," he spoke to the flower like it could even hear him.

"Don't you love them?" he heard a voice speak from above. A flying squirrel landed on his head, a nut on its tiny paws.

"Oh, sometimes I forget that your kind can understand me as well. He tries to look at the little rodent on top of his head. "Thought I was alone, to be honest."

"If you want, I can leave you to your thoughts," the little animal glided and landed in front of the blond's eyes.

"Oh, no! It's okay! It's good having someone to talk to..." He trailed uncertain, not knowing what to call the cute momonga.

"Aurora. You can call me Aurora," she said.

"Thanks, Aurora. I'm Tom," he scratched her head lightly, making her giggle. "Aren't you adorable?"

"Thanks, Tom. But... what's troubling you? You seemed awfully sad from the top of the trees."

Tom wasn't sure what compelled him to do so, but before he knew it, he spilled all his concerns and troubles to the little Aurora, earning understanding nods throughout his explanation.

"That's the gist of it," he finished his speech.

"Can I tell you what I think of all this?" the squirrel enquired.

"Go ahead, I don't mind."

"You're an idiot," she said bluntly, making Tom gasp in surprise. "From what you told me, you have wonderful friends who are worried sick about you, whilst you're in the middle of a forest hiding from them and pouring your problems to a _gliding rodent_. No pun intended, but that's nuts!"

Tom couldn't suppress a laugh at her attempt at lifting his mood. "You would make a pair with Dougie. He's the one usually saying stuff like that," he got up carrying Aurora in his hands.

"See? Even far, all your thoughts are of them. Don't you think they deserve to know how you're feeling, as well?"

"Thanks, Aurora. I might just do that," he kissed the top of her tiny head.

"Just remember to visit me once I a while, ok?"

"Deal!"

"What a touching scene, but I will not let you escape, Bolton," the voice rang in the air, filling Tom's body with chills. The momonga climbed its way to the boy's head and shivered when a red-eyed boy emerged from the shadows.

"Aurora, run! He's dangerous," Tom warned her.

Trying to escape the little creature was intercepted mid air with the words _"Dark Pact: Shadow Coffin" _reverberating in the air, a shadowy cube trapping her inside and leaving her tiny body soaked in blood.

"Aurora!" Tom caught the small body before it reached the ground. "What you're thinking you're doing, Aldwin?" The blond's eyes flashed with fury.

"You do not need such low life forms as friends, Bolton," the chubby boy offered a smile.

Tom's body glowed blue, words took form on his mind and finally made their way to his lips.

"Light Pact: Goddess' Blessing!" A pillar of light shone over the body in his hands and Aurora twitched a little. "I'm so glad you're still alive. Now rest a bit, I'll take care of him," he put the rodent body in a hole on the ground that swallowed it, the same fashion like when he escaped from Harry.

"You already know how to use some Pacts at will? You never cease to amaze me, Bolton," Aldwin clapped.

"What do you want from me?" Tom hissed, not a hint of his friendly self in his voice.

"You," he replied simply. "Dark Pact: Ashes of Time."

A dark blob trapped Tom, grey sand swirling around him at blinding speed. When the sand stopped moving, Aldwin took some steps forward popping the bubble to reveal Tom in his kid form, unconscious.

~#~

"I knew Tom wouldn't willing hurt me," I spit, fighting not to lose conscience.

"You do not really get it, do you?" Aldwin chuckles, a hint of malice in his eyes. "I'm not _controlling_ him, I only erased his past. That is why he reverted back to a kid and know nothing of you, besides your names."

"You scum!"

"Do not waste your breath, Harold," he makes a halt gesture with his free hand. "Finish him, Bo. Or else, he will hurt me and Daniel!"

"Ok, Al," Tom nods. "Let's go, Danny! Fire Pact: Salamander Infusion!"

At his words Danny's sickle become coated in flames that surprisingly don't seem to burn his hand. Fearing for my life I try to break free once more, to no avail. When Danny charges at me to deliver the finishing blow, Bruce comes out from his hiding spot spiting a green haze on Tom. The last thing I see is him zooming towards the cage I'm trapped when I finally see Danny's hand descend his weapon to slain me. Not having any more forces to fight I just close my eyes, waiting for my end to come.

_That's the same thing that happened on the lab. Only this time there's no Tom or Dougie to save me, _I think.

Some seconds passes before I crack my eyes open again. I don't understand why I can't feel the blade on my body and the answer is clear when my sight regain focus.

"Bru– ce!" I gasp. The little bird took the fall for me, the sickle buried deep in his body, red pouring from a cut on his waistcoat.

"You can... defeat them, Master Harry," he breathes. His beak glows platinum, and he sink his fangs into Danny's arm, who then falls to the ground. The chain around my neck loosens up, and I crawl over to Bruce's body.

"Why would do that?" My vision starts to blur with tears.

"I said I said I needed to do something for master Daniel," he coughs. "This will be my final contribution," his beak glows black and he bites me.

I feel the numbness leaving my body and when I look at the little bird, he mumbles his final words. "You'll be able to fight again, but the toxin I injected you will push you over your limits. If the fight drags on, your body will destroy itself. Master Daniel should wake soon, he'll probably be back to his normal, too."

"Bruce, don't speak! I'll heal you!"

"Don't, master Harry," he shakes his head. "You will need all his energy to confront this enemy. Tell master Daniel I love him, ok?"

"Bruce, no!"

"Goodbye, master Harry. I'm truly grateful for being able to live with you, master Dougie and master Tom. I love you all," he closes his eyes to open them never again.


	25. Reunion

_Disclaimer: As long as I don't get a genie to give three wishes, things gonna stay the same._

_A/N: Battlefield still on flux, blood and everything else. Just a reminder._

_Believe me when I say I actually typed the last chapter with welled up eyes. Still not sure why did that to him. :'(_

_Only two more chapters before the end. I'm starting to feel sad._

Chapter XXV

I lay Bruce's dead body on the ground –the farthest possible from Danny– still mourning his death. How cruel is this situation? In the end, even if didn't mean to, Danny _killed_ his own friend. I remember how guilty he looked when he told us the kind of service he used to do, so I don't believe he's going to cope well at all.

"Danny, wake up!" I slap him in the face multiple times. "Come on, mate! We can't lose the chance Bruce give us with his life!"

I hear a faint groan, and soon a pair of blue eyes are staring back at me. Propping himself on his elbows and he winces holding his head. I watch him carefully, not knowing if he's back to his normal, yet.

"Harry," he winces, closing an eye. "What happened?"

"Danny!" I throw my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "You're back, mate!"

"Whoa! Easy, mate! It's good to see you, too," his familiar laugh filling the air. "Except for this massive headache."

"Oh, sorry," I release him, taking a good look t his face. He still looks a little pale, but he's better than he looked minutes ago. "Let me take care of this," I put my hand to his forehead, getting rid of his ailment.

"That's amazing! How do you do that?" He blinks, feeling relieved. "But why are you here?"

"There's no time to explain, first we need to get out here this cage. We'll be fighting soon after, so get yourself ready."

"Okay, what do we do?"

"Hmm.. let's attack the same point at the same time. No holding back, ok?"

Nodding to my suggestion Danny grabs his rosary from the floor, which turned back not after he fell to the ground.

"Release, Judgment," His silver gun reappears, this time shining like the sun itself.

"Danny, what the–"

"Rinsing Mode!" I cover my eyes when the brightness gets even more unbearable, opening them again to see the silver from his gun is gone, and the gold that adorned some tiny bits has taken over it completely.

"Wow," is the only thing I can speak, still dazed by what I'm seeing. His weapon looks almost celestial.

"Cool, innit?" He grins. "What about that place over there?" Danny points to the highest part of the dome.

"Perfect. Let change those into something more appropriate," I tuck my _tonfas_ together turning then into a sheathed _shiken_. I prick one of my fingers letting the blood drip over my energy sword. My _chi_ and blood start reacting together giving it the feel and appearance of metal, using the iron present in my body fluid.

"You're not bad, yourself!" I hear him laugh by my side. "Ready? Now!"

"Sinner's strike," Danny shoots six times in a circular formation, before sending an additional shot in the middle ring. At the same time, I swing my sword making four rapid successive cuts, launching waves of energy in the form a compass rose. Both the attacks merge together, blowing a hole we would use as exit. A freckled hand makes an 'ok' sign to me and we regain our freedom with a jump.

"Why do you guys have to name every technique?" I raise an eyebrow at him. "Also, how can you shoot seven times?"

"It's not my fault if you don't use cool names for your moves, mate," he raises his hands in defence. "And whoever told you there's a limit to how many bullets I can shoot, is completely wrong," he winks.

~#~

I'm watching two kids still coughing inside the haze Bruce expelled earlier, struggling to breathe, when I Hear Danny scream.

"Harry!" I turn my head to see that the source of his is the figure of Dougie trapped inside the ice. "What the hell is happening?"

"We'll save him later, there's a barrier around him. Now we have to beat those brats," I point towards the identical looking boys.

"Dark Pact: Black Hole," a tiny vortex appears and starts sucking away the smoke. When it's completely gone, Aldwin looks at us with a astonished expression. "Are you still alive, Harold?"

"Sorry to disappoint you," I smirk. "Now you better give us–"

"Tom?" Danny asks when his eyes land on the brunet boy, who's still rubbing his eyes.

"Danny, how do you know it's him?"

"I don't, it just... _felt_ like he's Tom."

"You're dead right and now we'll have to beat him, 'cause he's the one who locked us and put Dougie inside that coffin."

"Seems like you are again on the enemy's side, Daniel?" Aldwin snorts, eyes ablaze.

"You know very well I never wanted to do any of this. I'm not sure what's going on, but I don't remember a thing after you and Ophelia showed up at my training."

"I should have erased your past, as well," the red-eyed boy says. "Now you are just another bother."

"Danny!" A small voice cries. Tom's little form pops up from inside a light and hugs Danny by his neck. "You're all right!"

"Of course, I am," he chuckles. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Harry wants to hurt you!" He stuck his tongue out to me, still on Danny's arms.

"Harry would never do that. He's our friend!"

"You're sure, Dan?"

"Yeah, I am."

After hearing Danny's words the little boy ponders for a bit and smiles at me, his expression soon turning to a frightened one when Aldwin yells his name.

"Bolton, what do you think you are doing? They are the enemy!"

"My Danny! Dan's not a bad guy! You're lying, Al!" the brunet little boy screams back in response.

"It's over, Aldwin," I warn him. "Your plan would have succeed if Tom and Danny's bonds weren't so strong."

"Seems like I underestimated you far too much," he growls. "But if I can't have Bolton, neither will you!"

A black vortex sucks Tom from Danny's arms and he appears bound in shadows by Aldwin's feet. With a flick of his fingers, he casts Tom upwards. Danny jumps to catch our friend, but before he can reach him, we hear those horrible words filling the air.

"Dark Pact: Shadow Coffin," Tom is engulfed in a dark cube, his bloodied immobile body falling into Danny arms, every bone fractured.

"Tom!" I feel pure hatred coursing in my veins. "You bastard! Dandelion Slash," I repeat the same move I used to break free from the fire dome.

"Dark Pact: Night Screen," He blocks my attack with ease. I land closer to a distraught Danny sobbing over my friend's body.

"Harry, you gotta help him!" Danny cries his eyes out.

"Danny... Even if I could really do something, I can't feel his presence any more," I feel a teardrop fall on my fist.

"It's all your fault, Harold," I hear a distant cold laugh. "Bolton should be living with me, Daniel and Ophelia. You and Douglas never deserved his company, from the very beginning."

"Shut up!" I stand facing the chubby boy, every muscle twitching with rage. "You're always talking about how things were so difficult for you and everything, when you know nothing about our lives!"

"You–"

"I'm not finished!" I hear my voice thunder, sure enough I must have powered my vocal chords with chi without meaning it. "All you want is an excuse to justify your wrongs. Can't you see that's exactly why the humans who created us were afraid of you? I'm not saying it was correct to lock you away or how they mistreated you, but you can't hold it against everyone who crosses your path!."

Aldwin remains silent, looking a little scared, I would say. But I'm not finished with my speech. Not yet.

"Tom warned me in a dream that _"When the chain of hatred shatters, the truth will reveal itself."_ That's why I'm not willing to fight you with this hatred I'm feeling, but with my will to rescue my friend. Even if it's only his soul."

"You have nothing but beautiful words! I'll show you what is true despair, Mister," he sniggers, his eyes flashing like burning flames.

"_Only love can save us all"_. I hear Tom's words echoing in my mind. "That's it! Danny, you kiss Tom!"

"What are you saying, Harry? He's dead and he's a kid!" the freckled boy screams back, sobbing with every breath.

"I know it's sound weird, but a peck should do it! Hurry!" Noticing the seriousness in my eyes, Danny leans to give a quick peck on those lifeless lips.

"Like I would let you try anything! Dark Pact: Hades' Flames!" I turn just in time to block a huge, blue fireball coming our way, using only my sword and its sheathe.

"Danny, Hurry up!" I yell, struggling to keep the fire from burning us alive.

When Danny finally makes lips contact with Tom and his tears fall on the dead boy's eyelids, the body begins to shine brightly. The light it radiates makes the fireball vanish and the wounds over Tom's body start to heal. With a last flare, Tom's back to his former body in Danny's arms. He slowly opens his eyes, taking one of his hands to his lover's cheek.

"Why are you crying, Dan? It's not like I'm going anywhere without you," he chuckles softly, feeling Danny rest his large hand against his own.

"You gave me a scare, ya know?" His blue eyes gleam with tears, staring back at the again chocolate eyes. "Thought I lost ya."

"Sorry. But we can talk about this later. Now we have to defeat him."

~#~

"It's impossible! You should be dead!" Aldwin looks at Tom, who's hugging me muttering 'thank you' and 'sorry' into my ear. His hair and eyes are back to their original colours.

"Aldwin, I really didn't want to fight, but I guess there's no much of a choice," Tom frees himself from my embrace, looking over at the perplexed boy.

"Tom, Dougie is..." I trail off, but he only smiles back and nods.

"Double Pact: Goddess' Thunderbolt," Tom says loudly and a huge pillar of light shrouded in lightning hits Dougie's prison, shattering it in tiny pieces, revealing his body free of wounds. I flash step to catch him before he hits the ground, his eyes soon opening.

"Ugh, I feel like I was ran over by a steamroller," he puts a hand to his temple.

"Be grateful you're still in one piece," I hug him. "Look, your wounds are gone, so be sure to thank Tom."

"Tom's here?" Dougie's eyes light up and I point to where Danny is. He beams and kisses me, teleporting us back to the guys.

"Tommy!" He jumps on Tom's back, taking the blond with him to the ground.

"Get off, Dougs! If I knew you would attack me, I wouldn't have freed you from that ice block," he shoves Dougie lightly.

"Aww, don't be mean! I missed you and I'm sure you missed me, too," he gives a big grin and both start laughing.

"Is it always like tha'?" Danny asks me, watching the two friends wrestling in the ground.

"You haven't seen anything yet," I laugh, lacing an arm around his neck, pulling him to where the other boys are.

"Danny boy!" This time Dougie tackles the freckled boy to the ground.

"Ouch, my back! It's good to see ya, too, Dougster!"

"Guys, I don't want to be rude, and I'm glad we're all together again, but we still have a task to do," I say, making them all look at me with serious faces. We all nod to each other, before turning our gazes to Aldwin, who's watching us the entire time with a pale face.

"The game is over, goth kid. We'll show you what teamwork can do!" Dougie says, his hand sizzling with electricity.


	26. Last Battle

_Disclaimer: Whatmakesyouhaha . mp3 (a.k.a. I don't own them)_

_A/N: Thank you all for the awesome reviews! I'm glad you could find some happiness amidst all the drama and loss they're suffering. :D But we're not finished yet. There's one more to go! *is sad*_

Chapter XXVI

"I still do not get it, you two are supposed to be dead!" Aldwin, takes some steps back, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "It is impossible!"

"I can answer that for you," Tom says, taking a few steps ahead of us. "In the same way your powers are related to destruction, mine are related to creation. I can't give life to anything that's dead, but as long as there's life force and a strong will to live, I'll always be able to something. Dan's tears acted like the trigger needed for me to revert back."

Danny looks at me with a surprised expression and mouths _"You told me to kiss him!"_

I scratch my head. _"The important thing here is that you brought him back,"_ I mouth back, making an awkward small fist pump. Danny just rolls his eyes in response.

"Then, I will make sure to drain the life out of all of you! Dark Pact: Shadow Coffin!"

"It won't work again," Tom sighs. "Light Pact: Purging Light."

A bright light obliterated the shadowy cube before it could even take form. There's something different about Tom. He's still the same, but now I can sense something in his _chi_ like he's not the same person. I'll have to talk to him later, for now is not the time to dwell on such matters.

"Guys, come here," he signalises for us to come over. "He may try that again so I'll give you means to repeal it and not get caught in that bloody coffin. Light Pact: Shimmering Infusion."

My sword and Danny's gun become shrouded in a white light and Tom explains that we'll be able to break through anything conjured from a Shadow Pact. He also gives Dougie what he called 'Cloud Nine Contract' allowing Dougie to boost his own his abilities with lightning from the clouds, since apparently Dougie uses the electricity stored on earth with more easy.

"Let's go get him," I raise my fist in the air, the other following suit.

"You will never defeat me! I will get you all," the white-haired boy screams, looking completely distraught. He's losing his collected temper really fast. "Dark Pact: Ashes of Time!" A strange cloud of dust and soot becomes a tornado heading in Dougie's Direction.

"Dougs, look out!" I yell, but he doesn't even move from his spot.

"Psycho Shield," he reaches his hand out. The tornado hits a invisible wall dispersing completely. "I might had to fight that Ophelia chick without my powers, but that doesn't mean this is the same situation."

"Wind Pact: Garuda's Fist," Tom starts punching the air, each blow transforming into air fists going straight into Aldwin's direction. The boy tries to deflect them with a Night Screen, but I jump in to slice through his barrier.

"Razor Waltz," I start to cut the air as if dancing around. With the power up I got from Tom earlier, the shield is taken down, and the air fists hit Aldwin, sending him flying.

"You're getting good at this naming thingy," I hear Danny from afar. "Even if 'Dandelion Slash' is a bit cheesy for my tastes."

"Shut up, Jones! I don't even know why I agreed with this silly idea," I get embarrassed by his comment. "At least I'm not the one who goes around using a 'Sinner's Strike'!"

"'Sinner's Strike'? Really, Dan?" Tom gives him a humorous look, folding his arms.

"Tommy! Not you, too! It's a really cool name!" He pouts, and we all start laughing.

"I cannot believe I am losing to four fools!" The little boy gets back on his feet, panting. "Dark Pact: Skull Curse." Black shadows come out of his feet, healing all his bruises.

"I thought yours powers were based on destruction. Aren't you cheating?" Dougie folds his arms over his chest, in the same way as Tom.

"Do not put me in the same category as Bolton," he scowls, "I'm absorbing the damage done to my body, it is different than using your spirit force to cleanse the damage."

"That explains a lot," I see my boyfriend sigh. "Why don't you just accept defeat, and we can all just go home?"

"I could accept a truce," the boy smiles slyly, "if you are willing to leave Bolton and Daniel with me."

"You little shit, you know we can't do that!"

"Dougs, it's not worth it," I shake my head, placing my hand on his shoulder, trying to hold him back.

"Too bad, Douglas! Dark Pact: Necromancer's Summon!"

The ground starts to shake and four beasts like the one we fought at the underground lab appear to us. The creatures start to charge at us but before they can try to land an attack, Danny's voice is heard.

"Snipper's Revenge," he announces before shooting four bullets that home in on the enemy, erasing them at impact. Me, Tom and Dougie turn to look at Danny with astonished faces. He took every single of them with just one hit each. "What?"

"Nothing, Danny!" I force a smile. _"For fuck's sake, what was that Dougs? What if he had used that on __**us**__?"_

"_I feel you, Haz! The guy's a freak! It's __**SO**__ good to have him on our side!"_

"What are you two blabbing about?" Tom cuts in our secret conversation.

"Excuse me, _Tummy_?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Dougie. I know you two were chatting, even if you weren't speaking; You're both emitting the same anxiety wave," he eyes us both, suspiciously.

"Is that your full potential, Daniel? I see why the agency made you carry out all the extermination tasks," Aldwin spits and we can see in his eyes he's really angry.

~#~

"It seems like that is impossible for me to defeat the _incredible four_, eh? What if I had a little help, then?" He crouches, placing his hand to the ground. "Dark Pact: Doomed Puppeteer!"

The air starts whirling in a eerie way, temperature dropping quickly. A strange mist take over the place, reducing our visibility drastically. It's only when I see a pair of red eyes shine near Dougie that I panic.

"Dougie! Behind you!"

"What–"

A big arm swings down to hit him and he tries to block it with his psychic shield, but the blow connects with his body impact throwing him. I flash step to intercept him before he hits a wall. I feel something wet in my hands and the sight of blood leaves me worried.

"Tom, Danny! There's something inside the mist, Dougie's hurt and I need help!" I yell, trying to pick on any presence besides the ones I'm already sensing.

Tom already by my side healing the boy in my arms. "Wind Pact: Spring Breeze," A strong wind blows over the area, revealing the figure who attacked Dougie.

"Ophelia?" I'm surprised to see her back at her feet, unscathed. Her monstrous form is easy to stop as the daylight, though not a trace of her presence is felt.

"That thing is Ophelia?" Danny runs to our side. "What in the bloody hell?"

"Do you like my guest?" Aldwin sits on the creature's shoulder. "Great, no?"

"How can she– I'm sure Dougie beat her!" I look defiantly at them.

"Oh, yeah. He did! I'm just borrowing her corpse," he giggles. "Don't worry, of course your precious Douglas didn't kill her, that would me."

We're all shocked at how he put simply that he killed his own ally. He doesn't even show any sign of remorse, his cynical laugh sucking all the air out of me. In this instant Dougie wakes, his bruises healed up.

"This is a fucking nightmare!" I help him to his feet.

"No, the real nightmare starts now, Douglas," he states with a smug face. "Dark Pact: Impure Fusion!"

Shadows start to consume both bodies until they merge in one gigantic ogre-like figure with almost double the height of the previous monster. Aldwin's voice comes from the monster mouth slightly distorted and deeper.

"Ready to begin?" The giant laughs. "Dark Pact: Decree of the Dark Master."

Danny's gun reverts back to a rosary and he can't transform it back. Reality, then, finally dawns on me.

"He's using Ophelia's ability to seal our powers!" I grab my sword to see it no longer glows with the power Tom gave me.

"What?" Tom looks disturbed. "Light Pact: Purging Light!"

But nothing happens. The same goes for Danny and Dougie, the latter making himself a spear with his _chi_. I take his idea and I make Danny a _kusarigama _like the one he used before.

"Now drip some blood on it turn into metal," I say to them two, who promptly follow my orders. "Tom you'll have to stay back this time. We'll handle him."

"Do not talk about me like I am trash, Harold." Dark pact: Shadow Coffin!"

Trying to protect Tom, Danny falls trapped inside the black cube, his body reduced to a bloody pile of flesh and broken bones.

"Danny!" Tom yells launching himself over the motionless body of our mate.

"You're gonna pay for it!"

"Dougie, wait!" I call after him, but he's already attacking Aldwin.

The monster shatters Dougie's weapon with easy and he lands like a meteor on the earth.

"Aldwin!" I sheathe back my sword, eyeing him. An unfamiliar burning creeping up my back. "I'll be your opponent."

"Are you sure you can even scratch me?" He sniggers. "What–"

One of his paws falls, cut off. He writhes in pain, roaring with force enough to shake the walls around us.

"When you–" His arm falls off. Right now, I'm not in control of my actions. It's like _something_ is driving me to make him pay for all the pain he caused my friends. Including Bruce's life which was taken because of this monster.

"Dark Pa–" He claws his throat, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Now that I have your attention and silence, you must be wondering _"when did he even draw his sword?",_ right? This is called _iaidou. _Consistsin drawing the sword executing the cut and sheathing it back in a fast movement_. _Since my speed surpass most of people's I can pull it to extreme speed, so you won't even see a blur."

The monster starts healing his wound again, but like Tom, seems like it's not really fast if doesn't use a incantation.

"Come on! Can't you heal any faster? You're going to pay for all your sins."

"I do not understand! You should be deprived from your powers! Why?"

"You wanna know why?" I take his leg off.

"Dark Pact: Night Screen!"

"Resistance is futile," I flash step closer to his barrier. "_Iai_ Razor Waltz," his defences come down.

"No! Please, spare me!" He begs, trying to crawl away from me."

"Why should I? You hurt the ones I loved the most and even killed one of them," I offer him a brief smile. "I really don't see why I should be generous with you."

"Dark Pact: Shadow Coffin!"

"Harry!" I hear Tom screams from outside the black cube.

"_Iai_ Mantis Blade," I slash free from his trap using _chi_ powered swings. "I'm sick of this game. _Iai_ Dandelion Slash"

The grotesque body flies, landing several feet from me. The fusion is undone and now there's Ophelia's body and Aldwin side by side. He's covered in wounds looking at me with terrified eyes. I take some steps closer to him.

"Wanna know why you lost to me?" I ask kneeling in front of him, my sword in hand.

He just shakes his head and tries to get away. I grab his ankle to prevent him from escaping.

"You lost cause you don't have anything to protect, nothing you love and care about. See Danny, over there? He was a wreck, too, but we could somehow got to fix them. Hell, _Tom_ could fix him, somehow." I plant my sword in the ground, just behind his head.

"I don't know why we are here, or our goal in life. But what I do know, it's that I want to spend the rest of life with them. If was that what you wanted you could have just asked us. There's always place for one more in our flat." I grab his tiny hand, using my energy to heal it.

The chubby boy looks at me a mix of surprise and fear. When I finish healing his hand, he just hugs me and starts to cry. I pet his head, letting him do his crying. Looking over my shoulder I see Dougie, Danny and Tom get closer, the brown-eyed boy kneeling my side and healing Aldwin's body, as well.

"I'm very proud of you, Harry" he smiles. "I thought you were going to give in to hatred."

"I was that close, Tom. Then I remembered your words, and for some reason I could see you in this child," I smile back, feeling two hands rest on each of my shoulders.

"That was ace, mate!"

"Aren't you the greatest boyfriend one could ask for?" Dougie kisses my cheek.

When finally done with his crying, Aldwin faces us with a confused expression. "Are you not going to kill me? Do not you hate me?"

"You've done some pretty nasty stuff, it's true, but I reckon everyone deserves a second chance," Tom says resting his head on Danny's shoulder. "You'll have to work to redeem yourself, though."

"Argh!" I clutch at my chest, feeling an unbearable pain spreading through it.

"_You'll be able to fight again, but the toxin I injected you will push you over your limits. If the fight drags on, your body will destroy itself," _I replay Bruce's words in my head. "So much for victory."

In no time flat, I fall to the ground slipping out of consciousness, images of the guys worrying and yelling my name, before I can no longer feel or hear a thing.


	27. A New Beginning

_Disclaimer: I was waiting for a miracle, being this the last chapter and all, but nothing happened._

_A/N: This is the end, folks. I'd like to thank you all for reading!_

_**Ideasfromthebraintoscreen**__, Thanks for the kind and encouraging words, you're a sweetie! The fanfiction world needs more people like you. _

_**Danny's Stargirl**__, Thanks for your support and being random together with me! Makes me feel comfortable! Haha!_

_**Neon Douche**__, Thanks for the good laugh and comments! Maybe I still got one or two lives. Bwahaha!_

_**PerfectDreamWithHim**__, Thanks for the push! This fic only sprouted from a one-shot because of your support since the very beginning. Thank you so much! :D_

_That's it. I hope you all liked it. I may be away from writing for some time, but I'll definitely write some more in the future. Again, thank you. XX_

Chapter XXVII

"Harry, wake up!" I feel Dougie shaking me, and my eyes finally crack open.

"Doug–"

His lips clash with mine in a desperate, needy kiss. My hand instinctively rests on the drape of his neck, pulling him closer. For some time we just stay there, kissing, until Dougie breaks off the lip lock, still straddling my hips.

"You twat, you almost died on me. Again!" He lays his body on mine, burying his blond head in the crook of my neck to muffle his tears.

"Sorry for that," I rub his back. "Not my intention."

"I truly love you, Harry. I would be lost without you."

"But you won't ever be, 'cause I'll always be by your side, Dougie. I love you, too."

We start kissing again –this time much more passionate and heated– when we hear someone clear their throat. Without pulling away from each other, me and Dougs look over to source of the sound to see Aldwin, Tom and Danny standing not too distant from us: a scarlet Tom has a hand covering Aldwin's eyes and another over his mouth, looking rather shocked; the little boy doesn't know exactly what's happening and keeps asking Tom _"What is wrong, Bo?"_; Danny has a smug grin on his face, his white teeth showing off, arms crossed over his chest.

"I thought I should interrupt before you could go any further. There's children around, ya know?" He give us his trademarked, contagious laugh.

"Thanks for ruining the moment, Danny boy," Dougie gets on his feet pulling me with him.

"T-Thank goodness!" Tom sighs with relief. "Why you didn't tell me you were poisoned? You almost died, your body cells started to collapse one by one."

"_If the fight drags on your body will destroy itself,"_ I almost can hear Bruce's warning. "Sorry, mate. I sort of forgot about that. Bruce injected something in me so I could stay fighting. I just forgot about the collateral effects," I explain.

"That explains why all your cells were working to the point they started self-destructing," He puts a hand to my forehead and the other to his, checking my temperature. "It was so close to the point I wouldn't be able to save you."

"Speaking of Bruce, where is he? We should celebrate! I haven't seen him in ages!"

I feel a pang in my stomach when I Danny's words. Not a single one of them knows what happened. I mentally kick myself when Tom eyes me with that look on his face that says he caught on something.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

"Bloody hell, Brucy!" Dougie yells, teleporting to the place where the bird's body lies. I didn't notice it was so close when I fought Aldwin.

"Bruce!" The other two run over to where Dougs is. With no choice, I explain to them what happened, and how we all owe our lives to the effort of the valiant feathered little guy.

"That can't be happening. Bruce..." Danny looks completely devastated, and except for Aldwin, we all have tears in our eyes.

"Do you _really_ want him back?" The kid tugs at Danny's trousers.

"Can you really do tha'?"

"Yeah," he smiles. "All I have to do, is to pull his soul back from the other side. Bol– Tom, help me here."

Tom kneels with the boy near Bruce's dead body. Discussing things over, they decide to try a combination of both pacts.

"Ready, Tom?"

"Any time, Al," Tom says, making the little boy's face light up at being called by his nickname.

"Twilight Pact: Goddess' Summon," both say in unison, light and shadows circling the tiny body, until Bruce springs back to life.

"Master Daniel!" He cries, flying straight into Danny's arms.

"Bruce! I'm so relieved! I thought I lost ya!" the curly-haired boy giggles like a schoolboy.

"It really worked, Al," Tom turns to look at the little kid, whose body lies on the ground. "Al!"

All of our attentions turn back to Tom holding the lifeless tiny body in his arms. We try to wake the boy, but nothing works. Not even Dougie could reanimate him with a shock. When we are trying to understand what happened, the ghost figure of Aldwin appears before us.

"Al, what's going on?"

"I'm dead, Tom," he smiles.

"You– How?"

"Even if I can use necromancy, I am still human –so to speak–, not being able to play the role of the gods, ruling over the lives of all beings. Using random ectoplasm floating around to move inanimate things is simple, but to pull a soul already departed from this world is more complicated and requires a toll," he explains with a smile on his face almost transparent face.

"You knew and you accepted it, anyway?" Dougie asks in a disapproving tone.

"Do not say it like that, Douglas. I was already dead inside for so long. My legitimate life begun when I was first treated as a person in all my existence," he closes his eyes. "This is something I will treasure forever, guys. You did what no one else had done before. Thank you."

"Idiot! You didn't have, too!" Tom is already sobbing.

"Do not cry, Tom," the little ghost hand tries to wipe the tear away from the blond's cheek. "That was my choice. Maybe I can atone for some of my sins. Bruce, you better behave and take care of them, since I will not be able to do that, ok?"

"Ok, master Aldwin," Bruce chirps happily, making the boy's spirit bounce in the air with apparent excitement.

"Before I go, I will tell you one last thing: They will probably send new enemies after you, the best thing you could do it to get rid of everyone inside the building and flee the island. It would not be too much trouble with Douglas' teleport and Tom's space warping abilities."

"You're not saying we should just kill them off, right?" I ask, a raised eyebrow.

"No! Did not you hear what I just said, Harold?"

"Pity, I was in a mood for some mass murder," I let a sinister laugh out and all of them stare at me with wide eyes. "Guys, I'm kidding."

We laugh some more, before it's time to say our goodbye's to Aldwin. Tom is the last one to do so, being the emotional ball he is. Hearing the words _"I'm proud to be part of you"_, the boy's spirit disappears in the air, leaving us behind.

~#~

Nodding to the guys, we proceed to raid the building locking all its occupants in a single room. I go sit on the head chief chair, thinking of our next action. The other three insisted they would do everything and I should do the brain work.

"What now, Harry?" Dougie appears on my lap.

"There's a system with some submarines on deeper grounds. We should just put everyone aboard and dispatch them away."

"It won't prevent them from coming back, though," he reasons.

"I know, my plan is to sink the whole island to the bottom of the ocean. With Tom's ability we can avoid being shred to pieces by the water pressure. We'll be, however, sacrificing our chances to see the sun ever again."

"Where's my boyfriend, and who are you, hunky, sexy genius?" he teases me, slightly brushing his lips against mine.

"What are you saying? And If I'm a stranger and you have boyfriend, why are_ seducing_ me?"

"I can't help it, I have a soft spot for bright minds! But the brightest mind I know isn't available to me," he puts his hand dramatically to his forehead, making a damsel-in-distress face.

"Who would that be?"

"_Moi_, of course." I instantly get up from my chair letting him fall to the floor with a loud thud.

"Great boyfriend you are," he mutters, rubbing his sore back.

"Come on, we need to explain the plan to Tom and Danny," I help him up, and we flash step to the room the guys are talking.

"We need to talk," I enter the room followed by Dougie.

~#~

Once Harry explains the whole situation, He and Dougie leave Tom and Danny alone to ponder their decision. Bruce says he'll follow his owner anywhere, so he just leave as well.

"You know what that means, right?" Tom grabs his lover hand, rubbing circles on it with his thumb.

"Yeah, I won't be able to search for my mother any more," the freckled boy replies in a disappointed tone.

"Exactly. That's why I understand if you don't want to stay with me and flee–"

Tom doesn't get the chance to finish his sentence. Before his mind could process it, Danny attaches his lips to the blond's. They shared a long, intense kiss filled with all their strong feelings for each other.

"I know I won't get to search for her, but if you think about it, this search was what put me in the wrong path to begin with. Maybe I should just accept this as a fact and move on."

"Danny..."

"From what you heard from Aldwin, Dougie and Harry were created with similar method, right?" To what Tom just nods in response. "If they are willing to give up on the possibility of the possibility of meeting their mothers to save thousand lives, so can I. Besides, I already found a family of my own," he cups his boyfriend's face, both boys with tear-flooded eyes. "Even if we can't remember our past together with Aldwin and the others, seems like we already loved each other before, right?"

"You never struck me as the cheesy type," Tom giggles, pecking Danny on the lips.

"Oi! Do ya love me or not?" He starts a tickling war, quickly making Tom surrender.

"That was cruel, _Daniel,_" the blond teases, trying to catch his breath.

"You asked for it, _Thomas_."

~#~

With all the preparations done, it's time to work the plan out. Dougs hacks into the central computer programming all the submarines to make a safe route back to the closest dock in the outside world; Bruce synthesises a strong somniferous to put the passengers to sleep; Me and Danny do all the hard of work of transporting the unconscious bodies to the embarkations and Tom goes back to the Clock Tower to ready everything to sink the whole island.

"That's the last one," Danny says to me piling another person inside the last submarine.

"Good, let's go back to Dougie." I high five him. _"We're ready, Dougs."_

"_I'm finished, too. I'll take us back to Tom."_

We appearat the top of the tower, where Tom's sitting inside a huge mandala drawn on the floor. There's a pentagon with one of the five elements is each corner: water, earth, air, fire and void. Noticing us, he motions for us to get closer.

"You're getting pretty good with your drawings, Tommy," Dougie lets a long whistle out. "This is impressive."

"Well, what I'm about to do is huge and I needed a medium," he blushes at the compliment. "I'll be needing your help as well: each of you stay in a corner of the pentagon."

Following his direction, we go each to an element, whilst Tom stands in the centre. "That corner is free," I point to the void symbol.

"Not for long," a female voice is heard from above. A strange looking squirrel in some sort of skin hang-glider descends upon us.

"Aurora! You made it!" Tom catches the little rodent in his hands in an affectionate way.

"Tom! So nice seeing you again," she giggles before turning to face us. "Are they your friends?"

"Yes, they're the ones I told you about."

"They look cool," she eyes all of us, before her gaze falls on Bruce. "Who's that colourful cute pie?"

"Aurora!" Tom's face gets incredibly rosy with her comment. "Go to your corner and we'll finish it soon, ok?"

"Ok," she nods, gliding over to her assigned spot.

"I swear, she's as blunt as Dougie," I shrug.

"That's what I said when I first met her, Haz," Tom turn his head to me, and then look to Aurora and Dougie, who are making 'ok' signs to each other.

"Let's begin, then," Tom starts. "For all the elements present in this planet, I abide by the contract with nature. Fire to ashes, storm to breeze, water to clouds. I borrow the power of the deity to complete the cycle and ward off all the harm. Water Pact: Odin's Wrath!"

The floor starts to glow under our feet and a huge column of light tears the sky. All the ground starts shaking for some minutes before the sky loses its light blue replacing it with a deep ocean blue.

"That's it?" Dougie blinks, watching some fish _swim_ in the sky.

"It's done," Tom smiles, collapsing on the floor due to the effort.

"I'll take him home," Danny picks Tom in a bridal style, jumping from the tower with Aurora and Bruce behind him.

"Well, we're finished here," Dougie shuffles closer to me.

"Pretty much," I smile, not realising he has a lustful look in his eyes.

"Remember what you promised me?" My eyes widen in realization. "We never got the chance to do _it_, Hazza," he purrs, nuzzling on my neck.

"Dougie, we're not even at home. Can't you–"

"Psycho Slash." My top is ripped to shreds with a flick of his hand, leaving my torso naked. He's definitely on his 'perv mode' and I cautiously take a few steps back.

"I don't think I can wait any longer," he starts walking in my direction, biting his bottom lip. From that point on, we started a race that eventually took us back to our flat.

~#~

A few months later, their lives are back to normal.

Harry was named king after he travelled each zone of the city and explained the current situation to the people, like why there's no sun in the sky and why fish can be seen instead. He opened his own _doujou_ to teach defensive combat techniques to older people, children and women. A few people know about his heroic acts alongside his friends, and he's regarded as an 'eccentric person' for many. He also hasn't gotten used to be called king, and refuses to build a castle or live in one.

Dougie, with his passion for knowledge, founded a school to teach youngsters how to control their own abilities, as well as history about their origins and the outside world. He also implemented some machines to make their lives easier, as a system to convert water into oxygen to supply the city and illumination that mimics solar light. Still lives with Harry, his fiancé, and will numb your body with a discharge if you ever call him 'the Queen'.

Tom restructured the whole health care present in the city with Harry's help, and turned into the head doctor of the biggest hospital in the island. He's extremely popular among his patients who refer to him as the 'kind doctor'. He also give lessons on Dougie's school from time to time, where he's loved by his students as well.

Danny, much to everyone's surprise, started a career as a singer. He's the number one star in the city and everyone loves him and his voice. His intention was to form a band with Tom and the others, but his fiancé and mates refused the idea. He's constantly making pocket shows at Tom's workplace, to cheer people admitted with serious problems. The pair now lives together with Harry and Dougie in a huge house they leave to Aurora and Bruce to take care of, whilst they're away.

Aurora and Bruce, like their owners, fell in love. She picked some tips from Dougie on _"how to seduce a hunky boy" _and they started dating. Nobody really understood how a bird and a squirrel could ever work out, but again, there's not much to understand in the story of these four heroes who saved countless lives from a onslaught driven by human selfishness.

They all endured many harshness and almost died more than once, but in the end, they could surpass all the trials, together. It's with their hearts full of hope that they keep moving forward, because this one has been, above anything else, a tale of **love**.

~Fin~


End file.
